The heavyweight division needs a young star to step up. That’s the phrase I’ve been hearing and reading about over the past year or so. Many people have been complaining that the division doesn’t have depth and it features the same fighters at the top. Unlike the other divisions in the UFC, the heavyweight division is struggling to evolve. In July, nobody had an idea of who was going to be the next breakout fighter in the heavyweight division. We are now in late December and Travis Browne is the answer to that question.
Travis Browne proves to be the answer for the critics’ demands
I’ll confess that I’ve doubted Browne over the past year, when it comes to picking his fights. I’ve picked against him in his past four fights dating back to his matchup against Antonio Silva. He did lose that bout, but if he didn’t tear his hamstring then who knows what would have happened. What Browne has done in 2013 has been tremendous and should make him a candidate for fighter of the year.
You can say his victory over Gabriel Gonzaga was a bit controversial, where he landed two illegal elbows to the back of Gonzaga’s head. The counter-argument to that was that Gonzaga was already finished and it didn’t really change the inevitable outcome. Browne’s unique style shouldn’t surprise you, considering where he trains at in New Mexico.
People can make all the jokes they want about Greg Jackson and his camp, but there are two things that you have to respect the most from their camp. The fighters always are in tremendous shape and they are very diverse. Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, and Donald Cerrone are just a few examples of fighters at Jackson’s camp that are always unpredictable and can finish a fight in a variety of ways. Browne is in that same mold, which is a testament to how good Jackson’s camp is.
Some people were sold on Browne, after he knocked out Alistair Overeem with a front kick. It still came off as fluky to me, based on what had transpired beforehand. Many refs would have stopped the fight, when Overeem was continuing to land punches while Browne wasn’t moving. Yves Lavigne and Kim Winslow come to mind of referees who would have stopped it instantly.
It was a spectacular comeback, but it wasn’t convincing enough to label him as a top contender. When they booked his next fight against Josh Barnett, it seemed to be another bad matchup. After seeing how easily Overeem got him against the cage, now he would have to deal with a wrestler who has excellent cardio coming at him for 15 minutes. Not to mention, Barnett is gritty as they come and is relentless at forcing his opponent into a bad position.
In a matter of one minute, the “mismatch” went out the window and Barnett was unconscious. Browne proved to be much faster than him and handled his clinch attempts with ease. Before the fight, I heard in an interview that Browne’s favorite attack involves his knees. Since he’s six foot seven, that shouldn’t surprise anyone. What impressed me the most was how well timed he placed the knee and immediately rocked Barnett, who hadn’t been knocked out since 2006.
Browne’s timing has proven to be an integral element to his success. Unlike most heavyweights who brutalize their opponents into defeat, he picks his spot and makes them pay with one strike. It all started with a counter superman punch that sent Stefan Struve crashing to the mat. Then we saw how well timed the front kick was against Overeem, who didn’t seem to have much respect for Browne’s striking. Finally as Barnett started to get desperate, he used a knee and finished him off with those vicious elbows right into his ear, similar to his victory over Gonzaga. Those elbows essentially affect Barnett’s equilibrium, which usually means its lights out for a fighter. That’s the exact spot where Junior Dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez.
Obviously the sad ending to Anderson Silva’s career and Ronda Rousey retaining her title were the big stories, but nobody was more impressive than Travis Browne. He stole the show and rightfully deserves a number one contender’s fight against Fabricio Werdum. Browne has now shocked the world twice and will likely be favored in his next bout. While Werdum has been waiting for Velasquez, Browne has boosted his stock and now has the potential to become a major star.
The fans want to see finishes and that’s what Browne has done, with three consecutive first round knockouts. The analysts wanted to see a new contender step up in a diminished division and he has done that. Even though he’s already 31 years old, he’s still considered to be a new top heavyweight. Overeem and Barnett were two heavyweights that most people had high hopes for, when they came over from Strikeforce. Both have now been knocked out in highlight-reel fashion.
Even though his athleticism and stand-up should be more than enough to beat Werdum, it will still be a difficult challenge. Everyone knows that Werdum has the best BJJ in the heavyweight division and his striking has improved greatly. It’ll be refreshing to see two new fighters fight for the opportunity to face Cain Velasquez. What is even more refreshing is that the critics such as myself can stop complaining about wanting to see new heavyweight challengers.
The heavyweight division still lacks depth, which is why the Brock Lesnar rumors started up. There are still heavyweights that need to step up, but this was a step in the right direction for the new breed of fighters. The new breed of fighters are athletically gifted and have worked hard enough to develop into top-tier fighters. After pondering about the future of the heavyweight division and their lack of new stars, Travis Browne has delivered the answer definitively.
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