Andre Ewell dropped and finished Trent Meaux early in R1 at LFA 36 (2018) #UFCSaoPaulo pic.twitter.com/kmc3xbvpQA
— LORD HONKY HUMUNGUS (@Mr_Honky) September 18, 2018
Bantamweights
Renan Barao (34-6) vs. Andre Ewell (13-4)Advertisement
It’s been an astounding fall from grace for former bantamweight champ Barao. In 2014, Barao was in the discussion as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but since dominant losses to T.J. Dillashaw in both his title loss and the ensuing rematch, his game has completely fallen apart. Barao’s lost four of his last five, with the lone win being over Phillipe Nover as part of an aborted run at featherweight, and while Barao’s individual skills remain intact and strong, the Dillashaw losses appear to have broken his mental approach. Whether it’s a lack of confidence on his part or opponents now fearing him less, Barao’s foes have been willing to pick up the pace against the former champ, which the Brazilian has been unable to handle; he’s had early success in his losses, but once opponents have been able to adjust, it’s been all downhill, leaving Barao some combination of frustrated and tired. So Barao obviously needs a win here against Ewell, if only to prove that his game still works at a decent level.
California’s Ewell looks more like a future action fighter than a contender, particularly since he’s already 30 years old. A lot of Ewell’s early record was against poor competition, but since coming up to a decent regional level, Ewell’s been a fun and effective fighter, thanks to an active striking game and some opportunistic submissions. Ewell plays fast and loose with his skills rather than sticking to any sort of technical gameplan, so he’ll surely hit a ceiling at the UFC level, but he’s more than capable of having some Fight of the Night contenders against the bottom half of the UFC’s deep bantamweight roster.
This fight is basically a test of Barao’s ability to fight at a pace at this point of his career; Ewell’s not a bad fighter, but this would easily be the worst of Barao’s recent run of losses if he dropped this one. There’s a chance Ewell can break Barao and take over the fight if it makes its way to the later rounds, but early on, the skill gap should be too much for the UFC newcomer to overcome, particularly if Barao can get his hands on Ewell. The pick is Barao by first-round submission.
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