(This story first appeared in today’s USA TODAY.)

BARUERI, SAO PAULO, Brazil – Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao went more than nine years without a loss.

Now, following the most disappointing stretch of his career, the Brazilian is intent on revenge – and he’d happily give up his paycheck to make it happen.

“My goal is to fight for the belt no matter who has it,” Barao told USA TODAY Sports. “But I do want to fight T.J. Dillashaw again, and I want to make that clear. I would face T.J. Dillashaw even for free if I had to.”

Barao made his UFC debut in 2011 and quickly picked up three impressive victories, earning him a shot at superstar Urijah Faber with the promotion’s interim bantamweight title on the line. After a decision win over Faber, Barao defended the temporary title twice before then-champ Dominick Cruz’s extended injury absence forced UFC officials to strip him of the title, giving Barao full champion status.

Barao defended that belt once, downing Faber a second time, before Dillashaw shocked the world in May with a fifth-round TKO in a bout he dominated from start to finish.

Widely considered one of the top fighters in the sport before the loss, Barao was granted an immediate rematch and in August was expected to face Dillashaw a second time. But disaster struck the day before the scheduled fight, and Barao passed out while cutting weight and was ruled out of the fight.

“It was definitely not the best year,” Barao said. “Unfortunately, life is not always the way we want it to be. We had a few setbacks, a few problems, and we’re getting back into it and looking at all those things that happened.

“I was very sad in the beginning, but as an athlete, you’ve got to take that and move it forward. Now my goal is to get back in there and win a fight and get back to the belt.”

Barao (32-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) returns to action in the co-main event of Saturday’s “UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway” (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET) in Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil. He faces Canadian submission artist Mitch Gagnon (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who comes into the matchup as a significant underdog.

“He’s not that well-known of a guy, but he’s a tough guy,” Barao said. “He’s got a lot of submissions, and I know I’ve got to work hard to beat him.”

With a win, Barao could find himself in position to challenge the winner of a planned Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz bout that should take place in early 2015. And while Barao would happily challenge Cruz to regain the title, he’d prefer to face Dillashaw – a desire fueled by a bit of analysis by the current champ to which Barao took exception.

“My first thought when (Barao was forced out of the rematch) was that he didn’t want to fight me,” Dillashaw said earlier this month.

“I hope he’s training because we’re going to fight each other soon,” Barao said. “We’re going to meet again in the near future, and it’s going to be a brawl.”

Saturday is an important moment in the 27-year-old Barao’s career. Win impressively, and the pain of the past seven months could be quickly washed away. Lose, and the path back to title contention could be surprisingly long for an athlete once touted by UFC President Dana White as the “best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.”

Barao believes the former scenario is all but guaranteed.

“I’m here to show everybody the results of my hard work and give everyone a good show,” Barao said. “Renan Barao is coming back, stronger and tougher than ever.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 58, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.