It was announced on The Ultimate Fighter Live that Renan Barao has been selected to battle Urijah Faber for the interim bantamweight title at UFC 148 on July 7th.
Faber was scheduled to challenge fellow Ultimate Fighter Live coach and current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz for his title at the July 7th event. However, Cruz suffered a knee injury that forced him to withdraw from their rubber match. Faber defeated Cruz at WEC in 2007 then Cruz evened the score with a decision win at UFC 132 last July.
There was plenty of speculation following Cruz’s injury as to whether Faber would be offered another opponent for the card or if an interim title would be considered. Faber insisted that he was still planning to scrap at UFC 148 and he threw out a list of names, including Barao, as possible options for an interim title bout.
Barao (28-1, 1 NC) is riding an incredible 29 fight unbeaten streak which includes his first three bouts inside the Octagon. He was also set to compete at UFC 148 against another top bantamweight Ivan Menjivar. So Barao’s selection for the interim title bout seems like a perfect fit.
UFC 148 takes place from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Middleweight champion Anderson Silva will once again put his title on the line against number one contender Chael Sonnen. In addition, the fight card also features the rubber match between popular veterans Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.
Renan Barao meets Urijah Faber for interim bantamweight title at UFC 148 is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Original Story:
|
May 18, 2012
