Gaps in the Armor: How to beat Renan Barao

Here's my latest breakdown, folks. A gameplan to beating one of the most dominant fighters in the entire sport: Renan Barao. Enjoy!

Gaps in the Armor: How to beat Renan Barao

Having finished his last three title challengers in emphatic fashion, it's no surprise that Renan Barao is heavily favored over TJ Dillashaw. Add to that the fact that Dillashaw fights out of the same camp as Urijah Faber (whom Barao has already beaten twice), a camp seemingly cursed to produce runners-up, and the 8-to-1 odds don't seem so crazy after all.

As a dominant champion riding a 33-fight unbeaten streak, Barao has begun to cultivate a certain aura. With each new win, he loses a little bit more of his mortality. If his dominance continues, this trend will persist to the point that Barao's presence alone will be enough to defeat the average challenger. Indeed, fans and foes alike have already started to see Barao as unbeatable.

As an analyst, I firmly believe it is my job to resist that idea. No fighter is immortal; every man can fall to the right opponent. When Chris Weidman first fought Anderson Silva, he faced a legend to which Barao's pales in comparison. Nobody could beat Anderson Silva--and yet Weidman did. The right combination of confidence, style, and skill will topple even the greatest of champions, and Barao is not and never will be an exception.

That's why, today, we look not at the things that make Barao great, but the openings and weaknesses that remind us that he is just flesh and blood. These are the gaps in the armor. This is how to beat Renan Barao.

JAB & TURN

This might seem like inane advice--everyone and their brother knows that a jab is a useful tool--but the thing is, nobody's really been using their jabs against Barao, at least not with any consistency, which is a shame considering how susceptible he has proven to be to this very punch.

Barao's weakness to the jab stems from a fundamental aspect of his style: he is too comfortable standing square in his stance, rather than more side-on. On the one hand, this facilitates his use of round attacks from either hand or leg. With his hips more square to his opponent, he is able to throw eiher the left hook or the right round kick, his two go-to attacks with equal ease.The problem is that Barao, in opening up his hips this way, exposes the center of his body, meaning that a crafty opponent with a quick left hand can put a great deal of pressure on him with a jab and some basic footwork.



1. Barao stands in front of Brad Pickett. Note the position of his feet.

2. Pickett steps in with a jab, placing his left foot to the inside of Barao's left foot.

3. Barao tries for a left hook.

This may seem like a very small opening, but it is a real vulnerability of Barao's. Pickett's feet move throughout the sequence, while Barao is rooted firmly in place. This is just how he fights. There is no urgency to recover position--rather, Barao will let you come in at the angle you want and try to punish you for it. Watch Pickett capitalize on this knowledge:


GIF

1. Once again, note the position of Barao's feet, particularly the left one.

2. Pickett steps in with another jab, which Barao parries.

3. The jab has allowed Pickett to move to an angle, however, and he connects with a short right hand while Barao tries to counter.

4. The two swing away for a moment longer--note how square both fighters now are. Nobody here is in an advantageous position.

It's been pointed out many times before, by many different analysts, that Barao has a tendency to get reckless and brawl. Normally, the assumption is that this indicates a lack of discipline on the champion's part, however it doesn't actually appear that Barao slugs it out for lack of self control. Rather, Barao brawls to prove to his opponent that he can.With power and speed in both hands and feet, a frenzied burst of offense is usually more than enough to convince an opponent to back off. Case in point: Pickett's work rate in the fight referenced above slowed with every Barao counter, until the Englishman ended up waiting around in front of his opponent, where Barao was able to time him and set him up for a knee that led to the finish.

Continues on Bloody Elbow...

 

Interesting read, but how can you apply that gameplan when Barao is too busy applying his one step nearly failproof gameplan?

Step 1.

 

Dillashaw has strengths of his own, a very good jiu jitsu, he can set up his game with Strong punching and wrestling, I hope Barao wins because I find dillashaw a boring fighter who depends too much on hugging the oponente, but it'll be a good fight.

 

Step 1 a.

 

Good observations, though I doubt Dillashaw can pull off the win. Barao is just a beast.

 

Barao is Aldo lite, he'll rule the division for awhile until he moves up to FW.

 

Thats a great post. The only issue , however, is that none of these game-plans seem to be something Barao cannot immediately adjust to. The only weakness thus could be his reluctancy to change his own gameplan. But adjusting being something in Barao's own hands, no high expectations can be kept from any gameplan.

 

Barao Happy.

 

Barao is stronger and faster than most of his opponents, I think thats the perfect scenario to stand and trade.

 

With a bat when he is sleeping.

 

You can breakdown Barao all you want but nobody in that division will beat him. Dude fights to finish, a jab isn't gonna change that.

 

actually very good points from TS. great read

 

LOL.. yeah i am certain a jab will ruin his whole game plan sending him crashing to the canvas for a loss.

BTW... THIS BUT ALOT WORSE

 

Great observations, really doubt anybody at BW beats him though.

 

So, throw jabs and try not to get obliterated?

 

Barao is beatable. It's just that the division lacks skilled contenders. I hope MacDonald finally makes his way to a title shot and shows a little more this time.

 

everyone is beatable, and Renan is one of the most, if not the most, complete champ.

 

nevermind

 

I wouldn't say that his last three finishes were emphatic.

Wineland was in recovery mode when the fight was stopped (prematurely).

And Uriah got screwed.

I think he would have won both of those fights anyway. But to say that they were emphatic stoppages is insincere at best.

 

You should fight him instead