Get to know UFC 138 bonus-winner Renan Barao

There’s a phenomenal Brazilian out of Nova Uniao who is in his mid-twenties, riding an impressive winning streak, and has carried his dominance from WEC over into the Octagon since having his division absorbed by the UFC.

His name is not Jose Aldo.

Renan Barao, the 27-1 phenom who hasn’t lost since being outpointed six years ago in his MMA debut, continued his incredible run Saturday night in Birmingham, England at UFC 138 where he went toe-to-toe with Brad Pickett in a “Fight of the Night” performance.

Barao Wants to Make his Mark at UFC 138

While Barao has burst on the scene as a threat to bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz’s crown, little is known about the reserved 24-year old who typically allows his ability do the talking each time the cage door closes.

However, the UFC recently gave fans an opportunity to learn a bit more about Barao in a video profile filmed as he prepared for Pickett including a look how Mixed Martial Arts has changed his life.

“I’ve learned discipline. I’ve learned to be friendly to people. I’ve learned how to share and not be a selfish person. Because this is  family here. I’ve learned how to listen to people. What helped me was to learn all this from Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and Muay Thai…MMA itself,” Barao explains in the clip. “MMA helped me become all this. It helped me to trust more in God, to listen deeper to the Lord’s word…to listen to my friends, to have conversations. It helped me to have fun and be a happy guy. What helped me with all this was MMA. And it’s in my blood, it’s part of my life.”

Here is the entire video courtesy of the UFC:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC