T.J. Dillashaw was training for champ Renan Barao even before UFC 173 call

While T.J. Dillashaw never likes to look past the task directly ahead of him, he has no problem admitting he was preparing for Renan Barao well before he received the call to step in to challenge the reigning bantamweight champion in a substitute UFC 173 headliner.

Even though Dillashaw was originally scheduled to fight Takeya Mizugaki at the May event in Las Vegas, he and Team Alpha Male head coach Duane Ludwig were also strategizing for what they viewed as an inevitable showdown with the champ.

“I wasn’t looking past Mizugaki, but me and coach ‘Bang’ have been working for Barao anyway,” Dillashaw told MMAjunkie Radio. “We figured after this fight I would be fighting Barao, so we’ve already been trying to pick him apart a little bit, work on things I need to with my game to beat Barao, and just change some things up.

“It’s funny that this came about. It was perfect timing.”

Make no mistake about it, though: Dillashaw (9-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) had no idea the opportunity was about to present itself. He just had a gut feeling his shot at Barao’s (32-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) belt wasn’t as far off as others believed.

Surely, Dillashaw didn’t think it would come so soon, but he’s jubilant over the latest development and for what is undoubtedly a career-changing opportunity.

“I didn’t even know about it,” he said. “I got called [on Thursday] after practice, and I was told that’s who I’m fighting next. I didn’t have to think about it at all. I’ve never turned down a fight, especially one of this caliber. I’m ecstatic over the fight.”

Although Dillashaw hadn’t tailored a specific strategy for Barao prior to the fight being announced, “The Ultimate Fighter 14” finalist has worked on developing a style that in conducive to snapping Barao’s UFC-best 22-fight MMA winning streak.

“We’ve just been picking apart the things in my game that would work against him, what wouldn’t work and changing that,” Dillashaw said. “Bad habits. You’ve always got something to work on, and coach was just making sure I’ve got to change it up.”

Dillashaw’s title fight with Barao takes place May 24 and airs on pay-per-view from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Any time a Team Alpha Male fighter get a UFC title shot, the popular storyline about the California-based camp’s inability to secure a belt in the world’s premier MMA organization resurfaces. Teammates Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez have struck out twice in UFC championship bouts while Chad Mendes has failed in his lone bid at UFC gold.

While the pressure to be the first from the team increases with every failure, Dillashaw refuses to let any of that talk rattle him. He said he’s confident in his ability to finally get the job done.

“This is everything to me,” Dillashaw said. “This is what I’ve been training for since I was 8 years old, to be the best in the world. Team Alpha Male needs a belt in the gym, and it would be very cool to bring the first one in.”

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

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