Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao Results: Keys to Victory for Barao

It looks like the rubber match between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber will have to wait.

That's because 25-year-old Renan Barao was able to defeat Faber in the main event of UFC 149, wrestling a shot at Cruz away from the California Kid.

Though Faber was able to stay in the fight from start to finish, the end result of the contest was a one-sided and clear-cut decision for Barao, who utilized a superior striking arsenal to foil Faber's designs to hold UFC gold.

Here, we will take a look at the four key elements of Barao's attack, which collectively led to his championship victory Saturday night in Calgary.

Leg Kicks

Though it wasn't quite as bad as what featherweight champion Jose Aldo did to Faber at WEC 48, the leg kicks Faber took from Barao had no small impact on the outcome of the match.

Barao was able to score early and often with thudding outside leg kicks that limited Faber's mobility and explosiveness in the latter rounds of the contest. By Round 3 Faber was wincing every time Barao slammed one into his thigh and showed a slight limp from time to time.

If there was one element in this fight that can be singled out as the predominant reason for Barao's success it is the leg kicks. Not just because of the points they scored, but because of the damage they wrought and how they impacted Faber's offensive capabilities.

Speed

From the opening bell onward, Barao proved to be the quicker of the two men—an advantage that was only exaggerated as leg kicks quickly immobilized Faber. 

Barao was able to get in and out on Faber, throwing two- and three-punch combinations in exchange for single shots coming back at him. 

Aside from the leg kicks that Barao neatly worked into his combos, he threw a lightning quick right cross that consistently landed and winging hooks that took Faber by surprise.

Barao's ability to lunge in, do damage and back out before the return fire came played a pivotal role in allowing him to capture UFC gold.

Aggression

More often than not, it was Barao who was getting off first in the exchanges. 

Early on, Barao relied on straight punches to keep Faber moving backwards. He continued this strategy into the latter moments of the fight when a disabled Faber was even less inclined to spring forward and initiate the action.

Barao's aggression played a key role in his victory for two main reasons. One, judges like aggression and by showing some Barao racked up points. And two, by attacking first, Barao was able to keep Faber off balance and on the defensive. As a consequence, most of Faber's strikes after the midpoint of the bout were fading jabs or push kicks. He did spring the occasional offensive push, but the pressing demands of defense really stifled the energy behind the attacks.

Balance and Agility

The entire fight between Barao and Faber took place on the feet, something largely attributable to Barao's balance and agility.

When Faber came looking for the takedown Barao was able to hold him off, push away and reset. Though Faber's attempts were few and far between, Barao not only foiled them, he escaped them entirely. 

Rather than allowing Faber to parlay a failed shot into a clinch, Barao distanced himself and went back to picking his opponent apart every time Faber closed the space between them.

More impressive than fending off Faber's advances was Barao's ability to stay vertical with his foot in Faber's hands. Caught kicks often lead to takedowns, but Barao was able to nimbly squirm away before Faber could take advantage of the position.

Though it was only required a handful of times throughout the match, Barao's ability to stay upright and create distance helped him secure a victory at UFC 149.