UFC 187 marked the historic return of Andrei Arlovski to promotional prominence.
His unheralded power succeeded yet again in a heavyweight showdown that has propelled him to the forefront of another title shot.
Unfortunately, Travis Browne was caught in his cross hairs.
In one of the most entertaining first rounds quite possibly ever, The Pit Bull worked Hapa over en route to capturing a memorable TKO and Fight of the Night honors.
Browne may have wobbled and weaved like a drunken sailor returning from sea, but his resilience and overall ability to eat a punch are two factors that will allow him to rebound fairly quickly.
Here are three fights for the towering Hawaiian to take next as he attempts to patch a once iron-clad resume and reestablish his worth atop the heavyweight crop.
Winner of Ben Rothwell vs. Matt Mitrione
This is probably the most likely scenario for Browne moving forward.
The fighter who wins between Ben Rothwell and Matt Mitrione on June 6 will come off with at least three-straight victories, but Browne carries enough divisional weight to challenge a streaking up-and-coming contender.
Rothwell‘s plodding striking and willingness to exchange in close quarters would probably bode well for Hapa, especially considering a fight with the powerful Mitrione could lead to yet another knockout defeat.
Either way, this will give Browne the chance to ward off the next wave of rising title threats in order to reshape his recent misfortune and prove he still has the potential we once thought he did.
Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic
It’s crazy to consider Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic a contender in the heavyweight division in this day and age, but the guy is starting to resemble a 2015 version of the aforementioned Arlovski.
In any case, the UFC should want to throw the veteran to the wolves, per se, in order to gauge his potential.
An April victory over Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga at UFC Fight Night 64 is all well and good, but Napao is one of the most unpredictable heavyweights of all time.
That’s where Browne comes in.
It would give him the opportunity to show why he’s still a top-10 threat and give the promotion the chance to see if Cro Cop can rise beyond expectation.
Mark Hunt
This fight makes less sense than the others, but man, does it carry some excitement.
As two of the most popular heavyweights in the game today, Browne and Mark Hunt would certainly provide fireworks if they squared off.
It would be interesting to see if the Super Samoan has the ability to get inside on a physical freak like Browne as well as the potential of knocking Hapa out.
In a perfect world, this fight would already be scheduled, but with injuries to Hunt stemming from his defeat at the hands of Stipe Miocic at UFC Fight Night 65 in early May, this matchup will have to take a backseat for the moment.
For more UFC 187 news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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