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#4 Renan Barao vs. Andre Ewell
It’s hard to believe that just five years ago, Barao was being talked about as a pound-for-pound great and as one of the most feared fighters on the planet. The Brazilian held the UFC Bantamweight title at that point, but a title loss to TJ Dillashaw appeared to take his soul, and since then he’s gone 2-4 with his only wins being unconvincing ones over Mitch Gagnon and Phillipe Nover.
In his last fight against Brian Kelleher, ‘The Baron’ looked particularly awful. He simply couldn’t handle Kelleher’s striking power, nor did he appear to possess the reflexes and speed to land anything significant in response. It may be that he’s simply reached the end of the road after 41 fights and over a decade of action.
Newcomer Ewell is next for the Brazilian and there’s no doubt that despite Barao’s slump in form, ‘Mr Highlight’ is making a big step up in competition. Sporting a 13-4 record, Ewell has won his last four fights, but this will be his first outing in the UFC and how well he’ll adjust to the infamous ‘Octagon shock’ – particularly in Brazil – is a major issue for him.
More worryingly for Ewell, footage on him seems to suggest he’s not possessed with the otherworldly speed that Barao’s recent conquerors have used, and he also has a penchant for trading and getting hit himself. He could stun the Brazilian in a firefight, but away from home and in the UFC for the first time I think Barao can stem the rot for another fight at least – particularly if he can get Ewell to the ground and work his underrated grappling game.
The pick: Barao via decision
