Travis Browne Feels Safe Going To The Ground With Fabricio Werdum

Travis Browne will clash with fellow heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum in the main event of April 19’s UFC on FOX 11. ‘Hapa’ is currently the #3 in the division, and the bout against #2 ‘Vai Cavalo’ will surely decide the next contender to Cain Velasquez’s belt.

Browne has finished his last two fights with a devastating barrage of elbows to the head, whilst defending a double leg takedown. Josh Barnett and Gabriel Gonzaga have both fell victim to the diverse KO method dubbed ‘The Hapa’, but Browne claims that he has never even trained the technique. Check out what he said to Bloody Elbow:

“I invented it right there, I just saw an opportunity and took it, the same against Barnett. I’ve never trained it I just look for strikes from any position possible. I’ve been on the grind in Albuquerque and it’s been a good camp. It’s a city that makes you want to train, there’s a lot of countryside out here”

Currently training out of Jackson’s MMA in New Mexico, Browne is looking like one of the hottest prospects in the division right now. Sporting a 16-1-1 record, ‘Hapa’ has long been considered title material. He was then asked about how he feels going to the mat with Werdum will go:

“I don’t mind if (Werdum) want to go to the ground, I can stay safe there. It’s a fight, anything can happen and you know Werdum has been working on his striking. Who knows, maybe he’ll will want to keep the fight standing.”

Werdum’s striking has improved tenfold since his early MMA days, but does he have the natural power that Browne possesses? I doubt it, but he has a clear advantage on the ground. His grappling display over Jiu-Jitsu and MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was a sight to behold.

Browne was then asked about his team mate and Legacy FC 30 champion Holly Holm:

“I think Holly Holm is doing really well. I think she needs to keep momentum going in to these smaller shows. I think stylistically she is a good match up for Ronda Rousey, but she needs to prove she is more than just a striker, and I can relate to that.”

Who knows what the future holds for Holly Holm, but I feel that there is great hope for Browne in the UFC heavyweight division. Can ‘Hapa’ break through to the title with a win over Werdum, or will ‘Vai Cavalo’ add another big name to his impressive record?

Photo Credit: Winslow Townson USA Today Sports