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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The rib injury that took T.J. Dillashaw out of next month's UFC 186 event should only keep him out around six weeks, so the UFC is expecting to be able to re-book the fight with Renan Barao in short order.
UFC President Dana White said as much in an interview with Toronto station CP24 this week, expecting it "sooner than later."
"It's not that bad in that he won't be out that long, but he's going to be out six weeks, which would be exactly when he was going to fight," White said (via MMAJunkie.com). "So we're not exactly sure when we're going to push that fight back to, but we're going to make it sooner than later."
This is the second time a rematch between Dillashaw and Barao has been delayed, as Barao wound up hospitalized by a bad weight cut last summer. He had to then take another fight in December to get back to a title bout.
Penick's Analysis: Given what's already booked for May, June, and July, I'd expect this fight to now take place in Brazil under the Ronda Rousey-Bethe Correia fight at UFC 190, and it would be a good spot for it. The fight wasn't a great headlining matchup to begin with, despite the skill level of the two fighters and the belt being on the line. It'll be better served as a co-main event, and Dillashaw defending the title in Brazil isn't that big of a deal considering he won it in the U.S. from Barao in the first place.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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