While sitting in as a guest analyst on ESPN’s MMA Live show back in 2012, Chael Sonnen once infamously laughed off the idea that heavyweight contender/future haver of Ronda Rousey’s babies Travis Browne could possibly become the division’s champion by year’s end. As harsh a critique as it may have been at the time, Browne’s performances over the past few years seem to fall somewhat in line with it. “Hapa” may hold a win over current title challenger Alistair Overeem, but has consistently faltered against the true elite of the division both past and present, most recently winding up as the victim of a hellacious beatdown to Cain Velasquez at UFC 200.
But now, it looks like Browne will have his chance to once again prove himself as championship material.
Thanks to an untimely knee injury that saw fellow slugger Ben Rothwell removed from next month’s UFC 203 card, Browne will now be stepping in on short notice to take on former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. According to MMAJunkie, both men have agreed to face one another and bout agreements are expected to be signed shortly.
This won’t be the first time that the two hulking heavyweights have squared off in the octagon. Somewhat ironically, the two last met in a main event title at UFC on FOX 11 back in April of 2014, with Werdum emerging victorious via a one-sided unanimous decision. Browne would bounce back from the tough defeat to pulverize Brendan Schaub into retirement, while Werdum would go on to absolutely school Velasquez for the heavyweight crown at UFC 188, then practically gift it to Stipe Miocic at UFC 198.
Aside from the whole “late notice replacement” aspect of the fight, Browne is also facing an undoubtedly quick turnaround when you consider that he was TKO’d by one of the hardest hitters in the division just over a month ago. I’m not saying that Browne doesn’t stand a puncher’s chance of defeating Werdum (especially given the latter’s most recent performance), but let’s just say I wouldn’t be all that surprised if he was wobbled and finished early in this one, either. In any case, it’s very likely that the winner of this fight will be the next man to challenge the winner of UFC 203’s main event scrap between Miocic and Overeem, allowing this vicious cycle to start itself all over again.
UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem goes down on September 10 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
