Xander Zayas takes this unification with Abass Baraou for one simple reason. He believes he can beat him, and that belief comes from sparring with him in the gym.
Zayas and Baraou have shared laps before. Zayas came away convinced he had the edge. That matters more to him than anything Baraou has done on fight night, including the win over Yoenis Tellez last summer. He doesn’t guess. He thinks he already understands how this fight plays out.
It will likely be a tactical and ugly fight. Zayas has shown he is comfortable pinning down opponents whenever they get close, limiting their ability to land cleanly before the distance is reset. He did just that in his last fight against Jorge Garcia Perez last July, using holds and short breaks to keep the contest from breaking open.
There is little reason to expect a different approach here. When Baraou steps onto the field, Zayas will likely grab, lean and force the referee to separate them. It’s not a crowd pleaser, but it serves its purpose. The goal is to stop momentum before it starts.
If Baraou’s team had prepared properly, they would have worked on fighting through the claws. Fighters are allowed to keep throwing while being held, but many don’t. They pause. They are waiting for the referee. That passivity is exactly what Zayas relies on.
Garcia Perez fell into that trap. Every time he was tied up, he stopped working and waited for the break. Those moments added up. The rounds slipped away.
Baraou cannot afford the same mistake. If he accepts the clinch without answering back, Zayas will be happy to reset and repeat the pattern. If he wants this battle to change, he must force it himself. Otherwise, it will unfold exactly as Zayas expects.
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Last updated on 15/01/2026
