Former dominant UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao will look to return to his winning ways at UFC Fight Night 58 on December 20, where he faces the submission-savvy Mitch Gagnon.
The UFC Canada Twitter page broke the news last night:
Boasting an incredible 33-fight win streak heading into his UFC 173 title defense against T.J. Dillashaw, it wasn’t a question of how “The Baron” would win, but how.
However, “The Viper” had other plans, and outworked the Brazilian striker for over four rounds before finishing his opponent with a headkick and subsequent punches.
The pair was set to rematch at UFC 177 in August, however, Barao passed out and needed to be hospitalized the day of weigh-ins – unceremoniously removing him from the championship bout.
He was replaced by ex-Bellator champ Joe Soto, who Dillashaw also finished off with strikes in the fifth round.
As for Gagnon, the Canadian submission specialist – with a very nasty ability to finish chokes – is riding a four-fight win streak (three submissions).
In 12 career victories, 11 have come by way of submission and he has gone the distance just twice in his 14 professional bouts.
The matchup is a bit questionable from a rankings standpoint, as Barao is viewed as the top contender at 135 pounds, while Gagnon has just recently cracked the UFC’s official list at No. 15.