UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Barao II Post Fight Press Conference

On Saturday August 30 the UFC held UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto from the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California.

In the night’s headliner Renan Barao was set to get his title rematch against T.J. Dillashaw. In May Dillashaw stepped up for a title shot when Raphael Assunscao wasn’t able to due to an injury. On that night Dillashaw shocked the world by battering Barao for four rounds before finishing him in the fifth. Barao who was on a twenty five-plus win streak before that loss. Some questioned the move, but the Brazilian was granted the rematch on the strength of that winning streak. However none of that was the case when fight time came around. Barao passed out and hit his head during is weight cut and was forced off of the card. The UFC made this shocking announcement an hour before weigh ins. In typical UFC fashion though the show must go on and the UFC immediately announced that former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Soto would step up to face TJ Dillashaw. Soto was originally set to make his UFC debut against Anthony Birchak on the preliminary portion of the card.

In the night’s co-main event Dillashaw’s training partner, Danny Castillo, received the biggest showcase of his career. The lightweight faced former Ultimate Fighter winner, Tony Ferguson. Castillo has been up and down throughout his UFC career, but he has won three of his last four fights and is coming off of a vicious one-punch knockout of Charlie Brenneman. Ferguson has only lost once in his UFC career and is finding his own when it comes to finishing fights. “El Cucuy” has finished Mike Rio and Katsunori Kikuno consecutively; one by submission and one by knockout. Both men will be looking to move into the crowded lightweight title picture.

In the night’s other featured contest women took center stage. Bethe Correia looked to continue her crusade through “The Four Horsewomen” when she faced Shayna Baszler. Correia is undefeated in her eight professional bouts and has won her first two bouts in the UFC by decision. After her last victory over Jessamyn Duke she declared that she was going after everyone of Ronda Rousey’s group and ending with the champion herself. Baszler will finally made her long awaited UFC debut in this one. The female MMA pioneer was scheduled to make her octagon debut earlier this year, but had to pull out due to an injury. When all is said and done Baszler will be entering this bout on a nearly twenty month layoff. Baszler’s last bout came in Invcta FC back in January of 2013 where she fell to Rousey’s most recent challenger, Alexis Davis.

The main card is filled out by a lightweight battles between Ramsey Nijem and Carlos Diego Ferreira and undefeated Damon Jackson and Yancy Medeiros. Fox Sports 1 will once again televise a stellar slate of preliminary bouts headlined by a middleweight showdown between Lorenz Larkin and Derek Brunson.

Those Fox Sports 1 prelims kicked off at 8 pm ET and were preceded by one bout on UFC Fight Pass at 7:30 pm ET. All of that lead into the main card on pay-per-view at the traditional start time of 10 pm ET.

Above is video of the post fight press conference featuring UFC president, Dana White, and all of the night’s big winners. (video is courtesy of the UFC)