UFC 143 Results: Questions That Remain About Renan Barao

The bantamweight division may find new life through Renan Barao.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai specialist impressed at UFC 143 in his routing of former title contender Scott Jorgensen. It was a significant victory that introduced new blood into the 135-pound contender's pool, which has been thoroughly dominated the past couple of years by current UFC champion Dominick Cruz.

Barao, who is currently riding an 18-fight win streak, now finds himself among the bantamweight elite. In a post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani on Fuel TV, UFC President Dana White went on record to say that Barao was indeed in the mix for a shot at UFC gold.

Whether or not he fights for a title in his next outing, fans should be excited in Barao's arrival, as it breathes new life into the bantamweight division.

Cruz seems to be on a completely different level in comparison to his peers, but Barao poses some interesting stylistic problems for the Alliance MMA fighter.

With a potential title shot on the horizon, there are questions that still remain about Barao.

How Will His Conditioning Hold Up?

Barao defeated Jorgensen fairly handily, but it was still a rather tough bout for the Brazilian.

Jorgensen forced him to work in every position. Barao was even bloodied up a bit after the fight. If any negative can be taken away from Barao's performance, it has to be his suspect conditioning.

As the fight drug into the later rounds, Barao's tempo slowed down drastically and Jorgensen was finally able to find openings to land on the feet.

Can Barao sustain a five-round pace with a fighter of Cruz's caliber?

How Good Is His Takedown Defense?

Jorgensen, a three-time Pac-10 champion wrestler out of Boise State, failed in every attempt to put Barao on his back.

Why should his takedown defense be questioned?

While Jorgensen is an outstanding wrestler, it'll be interesting to see how well Barao holds up against a fighter who presents a dual threat of striking and wrestling.

Jorgensen was unable to contend on the feet throughout the bout, which left his takedown attempts looking telegraphed and rehearsed.

Fortunately for Barao, there are few fighters in the bantamweight division who have the necessary skill set to truly challenge his takedown defense outside of Cruz and Urijah Faber.

Can He Shore Up Defensive Deficiencies?

This question goes hand in hand with Barao's potential cardio issues.

Luckily for Barao, Jorgensen was never able to get comfortable enough to follow up with combinations, but as the fight stretched into the third round, he was able to find success with a steady jab and cross.

Barao, who had lost a bit of steam, became sloppy in his defensive effort and let his hands droop past his chin, which left him open and susceptible to damage.

Cruz and Faber are two bantamweights with the ability to maintain a Round 1 pace throughout an entire fight. Barao has to work on his conditioning and defense to ensure that his chin remains protected.