UFC
UFC Champ Renan Barao thinks stoppage wins may be harder to come by the longer he's Champion
Apr 12, 2014 - 8:15:08 PM UFC Champ Renan Barao thinks stoppage wins may be harder to come by the longer he's Champion

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao has stopped three straight opponents in title defenses over the last year, but as he continues in his reign, he thinks finishes could start becoming harder to come by.

During a UFC media day in Brazil this week, Barao said as his future challengers get more tape on him, they'll be able to come in with bigger challenges for him.

"I think so because it's hard when you are the champion," Barao said (via Fernando Arbex at BloodyElbow.com). "All eyes are on you, the other athletes are studying your game. Sometimes you win a fight and people say it was easy but it has been difficult since ten years until now. Of course the plan is to finish fights but it won't always happen."

Barao has stepped up earlier than he'd planned for his next fight, as he'll take on T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 173 in Las Vegas next month. If and when he gets past that latest challenge, he expects to fight once more this year at least, and believes Raphael Assuncao still deserves that shot.

"They called me to save this card and I'm up to fight one more time this year," he said. "Raphael Assuncao deserves this shot because he is coming off a good win streak and was asking to fight me before he got hurt."

PENICK'S ANALYSIS: It's not possible for a fighter to guarantee stoppages every time out, as even the best in that regard have certain fighters they can't put away. Barao's been doing a very good job throughout his career, and as Champion especially he's been doing it at a high ratio of stoppages to decisions. But as guys can start to gameplan better for him, they might be able to shut certain things down. For now, he's one of the most consistent fighters in the sport, and it will be hard for Dillashaw to trip him up next month.

[SOURCE LINK]

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