UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Tito Wordsmith
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 169: Barão vs. Faber 2. February 1, 2014. Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey. The UFC Bantamweight Championship was on the line for the first time as an undisputed title since Dominick Cruz vacated it on January 6, 2014, due to a torn groin. Renan Barão became the undisputed champion by default and made his first defence against Urijah Faber, whom he had defeated for the interim title at UFC 149 in July 2012.
Barão stopped Faber by TKO at 3:42 of round one in a controversial stoppage. Faber gave a thumbs-up to referee Herb Dean mid-fight and stood up immediately after the stoppage was called, insisting he could continue. Jose Aldo defended the UFC Featherweight Championship against Ricardo Lamas by unanimous decision, his sixth FW title defence. It was the first UFC event with 12 consecutive fight card bouts ending in decisions with zero submissions.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: February 1, 2014 (Super Bowl Eve)
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA (second UFC in Newark after UFC 159)
Main Event: Renan Barão (c) vs. Urijah Faber — UFC BW Championship (undisputed; Cruz vacated Jan 6; REMATCH of UFC 149)
Result: Barão def. Faber — TKO (Punches) — R1, 3:42; CONTROVERSIAL; Faber thumbs-up mid-fight; stood up immediately; Faber 0-3 in UFC title fights
Notable: Cruz vacated BW title (torn groin); Aldo 6th FW defence UD (Lamas); Overeem def. Mir UD; Trujillo KOs Varner (all bonuses); zero submissions on entire 12-fight card
The Build-Up
Dominick Cruz had been injured and inactive since 2011 while holding the UFC BW title. Barão had been serving as interim and then undefeated placeholder champion. Cruz suffered a torn groin in early January 2014 and vacated the title, making Barão the undisputed champion. Urijah Faber, who had lost to Barão at UFC 149 for the interim title, was elevated as the first challenger for the now-undisputed belt.
Main Event
Renan Barão (c) vs. Urijah Faber — UFC BW Championship
Barão cracked Faber with a right hand that sent him to the canvas inside the first 90 seconds. Faber recovered and attempted to continue fighting. Barão swarmed. Faber turtled up. Barão landed hammerfists. Referee Herb Dean stepped in at 3:42. Faber immediately stood, gave a thumbs-up and indicated he was fine. The stoppage was widely debated. Barão extended his unbeaten streak to 33 consecutive fights.
Co-Main Event
José Aldo (c) vs. Ricardo Lamas — UFC FW Championship
Aldo controlled five rounds with leg kicks and takedown defence. Lamas showed durability through the assault but had no effective answer for Aldo’s volume and precision. Judges scored it 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 for Aldo. It was his sixth UFC FW title defence. Post-fight analysis noted there were no credible challengers left in the division, with McGregor and Pettis fight concepts being floated.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Neil Magny def. Gasan Umalatov — Decision — R3 — WW
Al Iaquinta def. Kevin Lee — Decision — R3 — LW
Rashid Magomedov def. Anthony Rocco Martin — Decision — R3 — LW
Clint Hester def. Andy Enz — Decision — R3 — MW
Nick Catone def. Tom Watson — Decision — R3 — MW
Alan Patrick def. John Makdessi — Decision — R3 — LW
Chris Cariaso def. Danny Martinez — Decision — R3 — FW [125 lbs]
Main Card
Abel Trujillo def. Jamie Varner — KO — R1 — LW; prelim; KO Night + FOTN ($50k each; Varner and Trujillo both $50k for FOTN; Trujillo $50k for KOTN = $100k total to Trujillo)
Ali Bagautinov def. John Lineker — Decision — R3 — FW [125 lbs]
Alistair Overeem def. Frank Mir — UD (30-27 x3) — HW; Overeem back to winning
José Aldo def. Ricardo Lamas — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — FW Championship; Co-Main; sixth FW title defence; dominant
UFC BW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Renan Barão def. Urijah Faber — TKO (Punches) — R1, 3:42 — BW Championship; first undisputed defence; CONTROVERSIAL; Faber 0-3 in UFC title fights
Bonuses & Awards
Fight/KO of the Night: Abel Trujillo vs. Jamie Varner — $50,000 to each fighter (FOTN) + $50,000 to Trujillo (KOTN). Trujillo received $100,000 total.
Note: Zero submissions on the entire 12-fight card — no Submission of the Night bonus awarded.
Records & Milestones
Barão — 33rd consecutive unbeaten MMA fight; first defence of undisputed BW championship.
Zero submissions on a 12-fight card — rare occurrence in UFC history; no Submission of the Night bonus was available or awarded.
José Aldo — sixth UFC FW title defence; extended his record against top-10 opponents to 6-0 inside the UFC.
Legacy & Impact
Barão vs. Faber 2 answered the question of whether the first fight’s result was legitimate. Barão stopped Faber again; the second finish came earlier than the first. Faber’s path through the BW division had been one of MMA’s more distinguished, but his record in championship fights — 0-3 — placed a ceiling on his legacy.
FAQ
Why was Dominick Cruz not fighting at UFC 169?
Cruz vacated the UFC BW Championship on January 6, 2014, after suffering a torn groin in training. This was his third significant injury while holding the title. His absence made Renan Barao the undisputed champion.
Was the UFC 169 main event stoppage controversial?
Yes. After Barao knocked Faber down and landed hammerfists, Faber turtled up and referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 3:42. Faber immediately stood, gave a thumbs-up, and disputed the stoppage. The crowd reacted with mixed opinions.
What was Jose Aldo's record in UFC title defences after UFC 169?
Six consecutive successful defences: Hominick, Florian, Mendes, Edgar, Jung, and Lamas. All six were won by Aldo without a knockdown or genuine near-finish against him.
Was UFC 169 notable for any record?
Yes. The 12-fight card produced zero submissions — every result was either a KO or a decision. No UFC Submission of the Night bonus was available to award. It was reportedly one of the first times in UFC history that a full card had no submissions.
Was UFC 169 Urijah Faber's last title fight?
Effectively, yes. His 0-3 record in UFC title fights — losses to Cruz, Barao (twice) — ended his legitimate claim to a title shot within the division.
References
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