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Incredible 27-fight win streak intact, UFC 143's Renan Barao eyes UFC gold

"If it was up to me, I'd fight for the belt right now," Barao told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) in his native Portuguese. "For now, anyone the UFC puts in front of me I'll fight. It's not my job to be choosy."

That next opponent is Scott Jorgensen (13-4 MMA, 2-0 UFC), and the two meet on the main card of this weekend's UFC 143 event, which takes place at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view while preliminary bouts are featured on FX and Facebook.

Barao is a product of the increasingly impressive Nova Uniao system in Brazil, training with the Kimura-Nova Uniao affiliate gym in his native Natal. Unlike many Brazilians, it was the striking arts that first attracted Barao to training.

"I've been training since I was a kid," Barao said. "My father was a boxing instructor. At 13 years old I started boxing. Later I started jiu-jitsu.

"I got my black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu a year ago. I am a boxer, but of course there's no belt system in boxing. I am also a Muay Thai kickboxer."

In search of a professional fighting career, Barao left his hometown at just 16 years old, traveling 1,600 miles south to Rio de Janeiro in order to train with the legendary Andre Pederneiras.

"My mom paid my way," Barao explained. "My own teacher Jair Lourenco also helped.

"It was a great experience. I learned to live on my own. It was a bit tough, but thanks to God I was able to make it. I took advantage of the experience, and gladly I wasn't too homesick."

It's a ritual he follows to this day, training with his father, Netinho Pegado, and Lourenco while in Natal and shifting to Rio de Janeiro when gearing up for a fight.

Barao's legal name is Renan Mota do Nascimento Pegado, but he's known in the fight game as by the nickname "Barao," which translates to "baron."

"My grandmother gave it to me when I was younger," Barao explained. "She got it from a soap opera character."

Barao turned pro at the tender age of 18, and perhaps ironically was defeated in his very first outing.

"I was a boy," Barao said. "I had never stepped in a cage before. I think I lost to myself. I was stiff, but gladly I was able to overcome that loss.

"A loss is only a loss when you learn nothing. If you learn something, it's not a loss. Thankfully I've been victorious since."

Twenty-seven times in a row. The only blemish on his record since is a 2007 no-contest result, but Barao was hardly to blame.

"I was on the ground and Claudemir Souza soccer-kicked me, which was against the rules," Barao said. "I was dazed and they called it a no-contest. It should have been a disqualification against him, but this was in Recife, and he is from Recife, so I guess that's what happened."

Incredible 27-fight win streak intact, UFC 143's Renan Barao eyes UFC gold | MMAjunkie.com