I think the best shot at this is actually Dodson. Although I thought he dropped to his ideal weight class he might actually have a better shot at Barau than mighty mouse. He already beat the TJ and has shown he can ko bantomweights as well as flyweights. He's faster than anyone Barau has ever fought and would definately connect. I think he could knock him out.
Theres no way Dodson beats Barao ever. Too small and Barao is arguably the best P4P fighter in the world. A healthy Cruz has the best shot because of his speed and awkward movement but I still don't believe he would beat Barao.
Cruz!! I hope he looks awesome whenever he comes back, but I'm not expecting it :[. Fucking shame. And after that it will probably be some FW, if he moves up
Mighty mouse was too fast striking with Cruz, Cruz had to wrestle him down. Dodson is just as fast and has heavy hands, I haven't seen Barao wrestle people like Cruz.
I'd go with Cain, then Jones. But in his weight class, I still think Faber has the skills, though not as skilled... and I still feel as Michael McDonald could catch him or pose an all around threat in a few years.
I don't see anyone tbh.....he's beaten most good guys, and the rest i don't see beating him. Cruz IMO.....but what kind of form will he be in?
Mendes, Mendes says he can make BW, but looking at recent pics I doubt it. However at FW, this would be awesome. He is a varied and extremely athletic fighter who can push a pace. I have very little faith in Cruz being able to do it, he is not a finisher and relies extensively on TDs, not great match against a guy with near flawless TDD (took down once in WEC, 0 in the UFC) and who can finish with only the smallest opening. And thats before we consider he hasn't fought in well over 2 years because of injuries and even worse than injuries, complications when fixing his injuries.
I actually think TJ's explosiveness might be the best bet in the division, but I see TJ as a big long shot. Cruz would have had a great chance at beating him before the layoff, but I don't ever see Cruz beating him at this point. Plus, TJ is a Fire Man.
