4 Reasons UFC Champion TJ Dillashaw's Title Reign Won't Go Down As A Fluke

4. Footwork

http://youtu.be/bftu29knJ4k When it comes to lighter weight classes, footwork is one of the most essential elements to have towards being successful. Most fighters in the lighter weight classes don€™t have the luxury of having a size advantage. The only other major advantage would be from relentless wrestling like Khabib Nurmagomedov possess. The lighter weight class champions all possess tremendous footwork and speed. T.J Dillashaw showcased that at UFC 173 by consistently moving laterally to avoid taking significant damage. As Dan Hardy shows brilliantly here, Dillashaw kept circling to his right to avoid Barao€™s patented spinning back kick. His utilization of angles left Barao in distraught, as he struggled to connect with any significant strikes in the latter rounds. Another issue with Barao is how he relies on straight line movement and his hand to parry away strikes. He€™s not moving laterally like Dillashaw, which is an issue against a much quicker fighter. Barao is one of the bigger bantamweights in the division and isn€™t blessed with great agility. He paid a price for continuously moving backwards and using his hand to parry punches in a lazy attempt to avoid taking damage. Footwork is essential, especially against someone that trains under someone as technical as Duane Ludwig. His guidance has given him excellent footwork that will always be a vital advantage for Dillashaw, along with the next category.