The three stars of ‘UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw’ in Las Vegas

The UFC returned to pay-per-view on Saturday night with UFC 173 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. There’s always a special kind of excitement in the air when the octagon sets up in “Sin City,” especially on a major holiday weekend.

That excitement proved justified at the end of the evening with four of the five main-card fights ending inside the distance. One of the greatest upsets in UFC championship history took place in the main event and capped off the evening.

Now that another thrilling night of action has come and gone, here are our three stars for UFC 173.

Third Star: Daniel Cormier

While it was somewhat expected, Daniel Cormier (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) mopped the octagon floor with Dan Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in the co-headliner to maintain his undefeated record.

Cormier was bigger, stronger, faster and more technical than an overmatched Henderson. He showed why as he completely owned the first two rounds before finishing the fight with a submission in the third.

Cormier’s game occasionally can be a tad underwhelming, but when he’s throwing his opposition around the octagon like children and choking them unconscious, he’s one of the most compelling athletes in MMA today.

Cormier did not defeat the version of Henderson that won belts in PRIDE and Strikeforce, but regardless of where the legend ranks at this point in his career, no one has ever thrashed him in an MMA bout quite like that.

Despite the fact champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson are scheduled for the next UFC light heavyweight title fight, it’s very possible both of those men are just keeping the throne warm for Cormier’s future reign.

Second Star: Robbie Lawler

On a night in which several fighters outclassed their respective opposition, Robbie Lawler’s (23-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) destruction of Jake Ellenberger (29-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) was a true sight to behold. In a little more than 13 minutes of action, Ellenberger had nothing – and that means nothing – for Lawler’s mix of productive movement, power and precision.

From the opening bell, Lawler simply outclassed Ellenberger. He styled out on “The Juggernaut” for the first two rounds before finishing the fight with a TKO in the third frame to improve his record to 4-1 since returning to the UFC.

The incredible nature of Lawler’s resurgence can’t be overstated. To think the fighter who outclassed Ellenberger is the same one who got beat up by Lorenz Larkin in Strikeforce less than two years ago is difficult to comprehend.

It’s safe to say Lawler’s remarkable title fight with Johny Hendricks this past March wasn’t his peak performance. As terrifying as it may be, Lawler’s dominant victory over Ellenberger proved the best is still yet to come.

First Star: T.J. Dillashaw

There are breakthrough performances, and then there’s what T.J. Dillashaw (10-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) did in UFC 173’s main event. Not only did the 28-year-old beat down Renan Barao (32-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) to capture the UFC bantamweight championship, he did it from pillar to post in a way that left everyone watching in disbelief.

No one ever denied Dillashaw is a hard worker with a solid foundation to flourish into a high-caliber MMA fighter, but his development in a little more than four years as a professional is impressive.

Dillashaw’s skills have developed so quickly that he defeated a man who owned an undefeated streak that dated back to 2005 – twice as long as Dillashaw’s entire fighting career.

It was pretty much a perfect performance for the Team Alpha Male product. He knocked Barao down early with a big punch and then displayed his superior abilities in every area until securing the finish in the final round of a fight he was dominating.

Expectations for Dillashaw’s performance against Barao were, to put it generously, low. He may have come into the fight as a roughly 8-1 underdog, according to the final lines, but at the end of the night, he showed once again why odds can mean little once the cage door closes.

For complete coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

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