'Dan' the man? T.J. Dillashaw believes he has Barao's number at UFC 173

(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

LAS VEGAS – Oddsmakers believe T.J. Dillashaw has approximately a 15 percent chance of becoming the first man in nearly a decade to beat UFC bantamweight titleholder Renan Barao.

That assessment means nothing to the man known in his inner circle as “Lieutenant Dan.”

“I’ve just got to go in there and believe that the fighter I am can beat Renan Barao,” Dillashaw told USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie. “Obviously, I have to be prepared for what he’s going to throw at me, but I can’t overthink what he’s going to do because then I’m getting thrown off my game plan.

“Urijah Faber believes that I’m a good enough fighter to beat Renan Barao any day in the gym. If he shows up to our gym, Urijah thinks I’d beat Renan, so I’ve just got to go out there and believe in myself and bring it. You can’t be scared of the guy.”

It was Faber, the longtime head of Team Alpha Male, who gave Dillashaw his unofficial nickname as a reference to the fiery “Forrest Gump” character so angered at his lot in life that he challenged God to a showdown at sea. It’s the same type of intensity that Dillashaw brought into his very first sparring session with the team, and that passion has fueled his rapid ascension from “The Ultimate Fighter” finalist to UFC title challenger.

“Obviously, that was my goal, getting that strap, and I knew it would take some time and some hard work,” Dillashaw said. “I just got in the gym and was on the grind non-stop. I think that’s what it takes, learning that fast – you need to be in the gym all the time. You can’t take any breaks.”

On Saturday, Dillashaw (9-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Barao (32-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 173, which takes place at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena and airs on pay-per-view (10 p.m. ET).

Dillashaw is a massive underdog to the Brazilian champ, and for good reason. With an incredible 32-fight winning streak to his name, Barao is widely considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. Meanwhile, Dillashaw was only given the opportunity to fight for the title because the man who beat him this past October – Raphael Assuncao, albeit in an incredibly controversial result – was physically unable to accept the challenge while nursing a lingering injury.

But Dillashaw does bring the necessary tools to the cage to make the matchup interesting. Barao has never been put on his back in the octagon, but Dillashaw averages more than three takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting. And while Barao is considered one of the best strikers in the division, Dillashaw lands 49 percent of his attempted blows compared to just 36 percent for the champ.

In short, while Barao is unquestionably the more seasoned competitor, Dillashaw could prove to be a tough out if the challenger is able to keep his composure in the face of the champion’s onslaught.

It’s just the type of assignment for which “Lieutenant Dan” has yearned.

“Everything works out for a reason,” Dillashaw said. “I feel like I’m on a six-fight winning streak right now and I’m the next one to get the fight anyways, so it worked out perfectly. People can disagree, but you’re always going to have someone that disagrees with you or hates on you or whatever. You’ve just got to look past it and believe in yourself, and that’s pretty much what it comes down to: just always believing yourself.”

For the latest on UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.