With bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz still out injured, current interim title holder Renan Barao will now take on Eddie Wineland at UFC 161 on June 15th.
The interim title clash will serve as the evening’s main event and will be ably supported by Dan Henderson Vs Rashad Evans and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
The Brazilian born Barao is currently 5-0 in the UFC and carries a remarkable 31 fight unbeaten run in total.
Wineland can’t match that record – few can – but while the former WEC champion does only have a current two fight win streak those victories have come against two of the division’s most respected fighters in Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett.
It’s not an ideal scenario – Cruz Vs Barao is the fight everyone wants to see, but with no end in sight to Cruz’s injury woes it’s good that the UFC is keeping a major talent like Barao active, and Wineland is scrappy enough to make for an entertaining match-up even if the odds are stacked against him.
