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UFC 187’s Travis Browne on Andrei Arlovski’s Chin, New Coaches, HW Title Shot

Fighting a friend and former training partner is never ideal, but in a sport like MMA, sometimes you have to strap the gloves tight, shake on it and throw hands at your brother’s face.
Such is the case for the UFC 187 tilt between Travis “Hapa” B…

Fighting a friend and former training partner is never ideal, but in a sport like MMA, sometimes you have to strap the gloves tight, shake on it and throw hands at your brother’s face.

Such is the case for the UFC 187 tilt between Travis “Hapa” Browne and Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski.

The two top-10 heavyweights trained together for roughly two years at the esteemed Jackson-Winkeljohn fight camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they learned from each other and pushed each other on a daily basis.

Browne has since moved on to California’s Glendale Fighting Club, but the towering 6’7″ Hawaiian told Bleacher Report the days spent trading blows with Arlovski are not forgotten. These sparring sessions gave him vital insight into Arlovski and his MMA game, lending him knowledge and insight he feels others may not recognize.

“One thing I’ve really noticed about him is his ability to take shots,” Browne said. “Being a buddy of his for the longest time, for two years or so, that was one thing that really stood out to me. In the past, people would say he has a problem with his chin and stuff like that, but I don’t agree. The guy has fought some of the biggest guys out there, and I feel like he’s right back in there in the mix. He can take shots with the best of them.

“The thing with Andrei, too, is that he’s an athlete. He’s always changing his game; he’s always making adjustments. He’s very good at different techniques, and he can game plan.”

That said, Browne knows better than to hang all of his expectations on the past. He knows how much he’s evolved since his time at Jackson-Winkeljohn’s, and he understands Arlovski has experienced similar growth and change.

“He changes every time he fights, and I change every time I fight,” Browne said. “I feel like I might have an idea of what goes on at Jackson-Winkeljohn’s, but at the same time, that’s why Coach Jackson and Coach Winkeljohn are considered some of the best. They’re able to game plan and bring the best out of their athletes.”

One thing Browne is sure about, however, is there’s not going to be a letdown for the fans when the two step into the cage. They’re cordial and respectful of each other’s skill, sure, but they’re not going to let feelings get in the way of a good old-fashioned throwdown.

“Him and I fighting each other are like two brothers fighting,” Browne said. “I have no hesitation in going out there and fighting him, and he doesn’t have any hesitation in going out there and fighting me, so it’s not going to be a game of patty-cake. We’re going out there to fight and provide for our fans.”

Training under coaches Edmond Tarverdyan, Neil Melanson and Ricky Lundell at Glendale Fighting Club, Browne hopes to show off his improvements in full Saturday evening in Las Vegas. His first fight under their tutelage—a first-round stoppage of Brendan Schaub at UFC 181 in December 2014—was impressive, and it helped to prove to fans and critics why he made the jump to California.

While many questioned his decision to leave the high-profile Albuquerque-based camp, Browne said he feels more comfortable and better prepared than ever heading into his fight opposite The Pit Bull.

“I feel like every time I train, I’m moving so far forward. I’m constantly evolving,” Browne said. “For me, what’s really worked out with Coach Edmond, and having Neal and Ricky here, is that I don’t get lost in any kind of a shuffle. My camp is made specifically for me and what I need.

“The one thing I’ve learned about this sport is that it’s OK to be selfish at times. That’s [training for a fight is] one of the times that every fighter should be selfish.”

Should he defeat Arlovski at UFC 187, Browne might need to get a little selfish in his bid for the UFC heavyweight title.

Hapa is currently ranked No. 3 in the UFC’s heavyweight division, and a win over the No. 8 Arlovski puts him on a two-fight winning streak, giving him a strong case to face the winner of UFC 188’s main event in June between champion Cain Velasquez and interim champion Fabricio Werdum.

To Browne, though, there’s no rush for gold. The title will be there. As long as he keeps winning, the UFC won’t have a choice but to give him his shot, and he intends to make the most of it when it comes.

“The title shot, the way I look at it is I just have to go out there and do my job,” Browne said. “If I keep winning fights, there’s no way they can’t give me that title shot. So that’s definitely something that’s on my mind but not necessarily right now at the forefront. I have to go out there and win the fight first then get ready.”

If the path to the title means taking another fight or two in the meantime, that’d be just fine, too. Browne is relaxed and patient, and he knows he’ll be ready to pounce when the light turns green.

“Yeah, [I’d be OK with taking another fight before the title shot]. I mean, it’s what the UFC wants. At the end of the day, it’s their world,” Browne said. “We fight in the UFC. It’s not my company, so if they say, ‘Hey, we want you to fight [No. 4-ranked heavyweight] Stipe [Miocic],’ then I feel like I have the heart of a champion, and we have to be ready to fight anybody. When you’re the champ, you take on all newcomers, so it is what it is.”

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Chris Weidman Can Inch Closer to Greatest MW Champ in UFC History with Big Win

Numbers be damned, Chris Weidman is approaching legendary status in the UFC’s middleweight division.
The 30-year-old Serra-Longo product faces Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort on Saturday, May 23 at UFC 187 in Las Vegas, where he’ll attempt to defend his mid…

Numbers be damned, Chris Weidman is approaching legendary status in the UFC’s middleweight division.

The 30-year-old Serra-Longo product faces Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort on Saturday, May 23 at UFC 187 in Las Vegas, where he’ll attempt to defend his middleweight title for the third time.

Before there were talks of UFC title defenses for the Long Island native, however, there was an obsession with one man: UFC legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

Silva was not only the king in Weidman‘s weight class, he was widely regarded as the greatest fighter to ever compete in the sport. He was, as they say, the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).

Weidman knew Silva had something special—and he was determined to take it from him.

“Every time I trained for a fight, I didn’t train to beat the guy I was fighting,” Weidman wrote for the Players’ Tribune. “I trained to beat Anderson Silva.”

After nine straight wins, Weidman got his chance against The Spider at UFC 162, famously knocking out the longtime king and ushering in a new era in the UFC’s middleweight division. For Weidman, this was a defining win, a grand payoff for all the years of studying, training and grinding toward Silva’s title.

Weidman has since added two additional title defenses to his legacy—one more over Silva and one over Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida—and he’ll look to extend his run against Belfort on Saturday evening in what may prove to be his toughest test to date.

Should Weidman do what he does inside the cage and snag another title defense on Saturday evening, it will be time to have a little talk about the greatest middleweight in history.

And this talk will feel a lot like a debate.

Silva’s run as the UFC middleweight champion was magical. He was hands down the most dominant fighter I’ve ever watched go to work, toying, dancing and playing with grown men before sending them into another dimension with his pinpoint strikes.

His 10 consecutive title defenses are the most in the promotion’s history. His 14 finishes? Also tops.

He had the kind of run at 185 pounds that felt like it would never face a legitimate challenge. He was the division’s Cy Young, and everybody else was playing an impossible game of catch-up.

But if Weidman gets past Belfort at UFC 187, we’ll need to have a discussion. A one-two-three run over Silva, Machida and Belfort would look a lot like the beginning stages of Jon “Bones” Jones’ run at light heavyweight when he assumed the throne in March 2011.

Jones demolished legends and former champs, and he was widely considered the best light heavyweight of all time even before he matched Tito Ortiz’s then-record of five consecutive title defenses.

Weidman can do the same.

The quantity of wins and accolades is not there for him just yet, and he may never match Silva fight-for-fight. Consider this: Silva had already notched four UFC title defenses by the time Weidman made his pro MMA debut.

Weidman may never be able to close this gap in terms of sheer quantity, but man, oh man, is he making up for it with quality.

Like Jones, Weidman seized control of his division and rattled off victories over some of the best fighters the sport has ever seen.

He needed just 12-and-a-half minutes to slay the G.O.A.T. twice. No big deal, but none of Silva’s 15 other UFC opponents could do it even once. Some of them even had a second chance at him and still couldn’t seal the deal.

If sending The Spider packing wasn’t dramatic enough, Weidman then bested Machida at his own game, out-striking the karate expert over five rounds in a Fight of the Night performance at UFC 175. Again, no big deal, but the lifelong wrestler and grappling specialist just stood toe-to-toe with an expert striker and won.

Compared to Silva’s resume, well, there’s no comparison.

This is like having two Lamborghinis and a Ferrari in your garage and comparing it to a garage with four Mustangs, a Camaro and five souped-up Civics.

Sure, Silva has more pink slips, but put any of his 10 cars against Weidman‘s Ferrari, and it’ll end poorly for the former champ.

Making matters worse for The Spider’s case, Weidman‘s garage has some bays just begging to be filled by more supercars.

Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza await after Belfort, and either fighter would stand among or above the best on Silva’s hit list. Silva’s garage is locked. Weidman is building an addition.

On Saturday, Weidman has the opportunity to begin this construction by adding another victory over a former UFC champ to his record. Beating Belfort is arguably the best win of Silva’s title reign, so this fight can give us a better understanding of how Weidman and Silva match up against common opponents as well.

Don’t expect Weidman to front-kick Belfort‘s face into the second row like Silva did, but don’t be shocked if the American is able to thoroughly dismantle the aging Phenom any way he sees fit.

If he does, he’ll take one more leap toward snatching Silva’s claim as the greatest middleweight in the sport’s history.

The game of catch-up Weidman signed up for when he entered the middleweight division as a pro fighter in 2009 was supposed to be impossible, but so was beating Silva in the first place.

It seems Weidman has a different perspective on what’s possible, and he’s blazing a trail to show us things his way. Pretty soon, we’ll have to open our eyes and accept him for what he’s becoming: the greatest middleweight of all time.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC BW Champ TJ Dillashaw Wants Superfight vs. McGregor or Aldo After Barao

UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will be a particularly interested spectator of July 11’s UFC 189 card.
Fans and media members across the globe have been eagerly anticipating the event, which features a showdown between longtime f…

UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will be a particularly interested spectator of July 11’s UFC 189 card.

Fans and media members across the globe have been eagerly anticipating the event, which features a showdown between longtime featherweight king Jose Aldo and red-hot challenger Conor McGregor, since it was announced, but Dillashaw‘s motivation for watching runs a bit deeper than sheer entertainment.

While he currently reigns one weight class below Aldo and McGregor, Dillashaw told Submission Radio he’d like to face the winner of the UFC 189 main event after his upcoming rematch with Renan Barao at UFC on Fox 16 on July 25 (h/t Bloody Elbow’s Karim Zidan for the transcription):

I would love to do a champion vs. champion fight. That’s like my next goal. The goal was to become best in the world in my weight class and I’ve done it. I need to obviously stay dominant and hold my belt and continue to do so, but I would love to in the future fight champion vs. champion and go up a weight class and do that.

Whether Aldo or McGregor emerges victorious, Dillashaw feels he’ll be ready to compete and solidify his status as one of the most dangerous men on earth.

“Whoever is going to win the fight, I would beat either of them,” Dillashaw said.

With just one title defense to his name, Dillashaw may be getting a touch ahead of himself, but it’s always great to see a fighter open himself up to new challenges and look to push himself to achieve greatness inside the cage.

A win over either Aldo or McGregor would likely cement Dillashaw as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, but neither fight comes without significant challenges.

McGregor is a massive featherweight who previously held both the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship lightweight and featherweight titles, and he’s not-so-subtly teased a move to lightweight—and perhaps even welterweight—under the UFC banner.

Besides his size advantage over Dillashaw, he’s obsessive about the sport, constantly growing and evolving in his quest to become the best ever.

Aldo’s record, meanwhile, speaks for itself. The Brazilian champ is 25-1, and he hasn’t lost in nine years. Since signing with Zuffa in 2008, Aldo is a perfect 15-0 with nine stoppages via knockout.

It’d be tough to favor Dillashaw against either man, but should he defeat Barao at UFC on Fox 16, the MMA world would undoubtedly tune in to watch him test his luck at 145.

How do you think the Team Alpha Male standout would perform against Aldo or McGregor? Leave a comment, and we’ll discuss his chances.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Miesha Tate Open to Catchweight Bout with Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino

UFC women’s bantamweight Miesha “Cupcake” Tate may have opened up the pipeline to the Octagon for Cris “Cyborg” Justino.
Speaking at a recent fan Q&A session in Manila ahead of UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber this past weekend, Tate was aske…

UFC women’s bantamweight Miesha “Cupcake” Tate may have opened up the pipeline to the Octagon for Cris “Cyborg” Justino.

Speaking at a recent fan Q&A session in Manila ahead of UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber this past weekend, Tate was asked about taking on the 13-1 Brazilian powerhouse.

Cupcake answered confidently (h/t Fightland):

That’s my job. I have to fight anyone they put in front of me and obviously I’m not scared of anyone. So yes, I would [fight her at catchweight]. But I heard Cyborg is signed to fight at 135, so I would prefer to fight her in my weight class. If they had a 125 [division], I’d like to go down, but they don’t, so it’s 135 for me. That’s the weight class I prefer to be in.

Currently, Tate is booked to fight Jessica Eye July 25 at UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago. With a win there, Tate said at the Q&A, she would want another a title shot against the winner of the UFC 190 main event between current champion and UFC superstar Ronda Rousey and her next challenger, Bethe Correia.

“After I fight her, hopefully the word on the street is that I will get another fight with Ronda,” Tate said.

If that doesn’t come to fruition, a fight against Cyborg would be hotly anticipated by MMA fans across the globe.

For years, fans and critics have touted Cyborg as the biggest challenge to Rousey‘s throne, but a variety of roadblocks have prevented the bout from happening.

First, Cyborg has never fought at the 135-pound limit, and Rousey is uninterested in moving up to meet her at featherweight or at a 140-pound catchweight.

Cyborg was slated to make her bantamweight debut in December 2014 at Invicta FC 10, but that bout fell apart when she pulled out with an injury. Cyborg has fought once since then, defending her Invicta featherweight title against Charmaine Tweet at Invicta FC 11 in February.

Presently, Cyborg is slated to fight at Invicta FC 13 in July, again at featherweight.

As such, it may take a catchweight bout—like the one Tate mentioned in Manila—to officially get Cyborg inside the UFC Octagon.

Whether she fights at 140 pounds or dedicates herself to making the cut to 135, her presence under the UFC banner could be huge, and a bout opposite Tate could set the stage for the Rousey vs. Cyborg superfight we’ve wanted for so long.

For now, though, any mention of Cyborg outside the featherweight division is speculation. While Tate’s acceptance of the hypothetical matchup is nice to hear, it’s far from official, and Cyborg to the UFC remains a “believe it when you see it” case.

Still, it’s fun to think about, and a Tate vs. Cyborg matchup would undoubtedly represent one of the biggest fights of the year.

Who would you take in this showdown? Could Tate get it done, or would Cyborg steamroll her way to another victory?

Brandon Halsey Discussed Move to 205 with Bellator Before Fight with Grove

Even before Brandon Halsey made headlines Thursday evening for missing weight and getting stripped of his middleweight title, a move to light heavyweight was in his sights.
Halsey will still fight Kendall Grove Friday night at Bellator 137, but, …

Even before Brandon Halsey made headlines Thursday evening for missing weight and getting stripped of his middleweight title, a move to light heavyweight was in his sights.

Halsey will still fight Kendall Grove Friday night at Bellator 137, but, after coming in roughly three pounds over the middleweight limit of 185 pounds, he will only defend his undefeated record, not the shiny golden strap.

While this is surprising, it may ultimately be for the best for Halsey and his career.

The 8-0 mixed martial artist was always massive for middleweight, needing to drop 50 pounds or more during fight camp to make the 185-pound limit. While he’s enjoyed huge success inside Bellator‘s middleweight division, he began his career at light heavyweight, and the thought of returning to 205 has always been in the back of his mind.

“I started my career at 205, you know?” Halsey told Bleacher Report before missing weight for Bellator 137. “I’d love to fight at ’85 and 205. I feel just as big and strong and fast at 205 as I do 185. That would be something we could play with in the future.”

While Halsey didn’t give a specific date he’d like to move to light heavyweight, all signs pointed to the jump happening sooner than later during our chat.

“We’ve thrown it out there [to Bellator] that I’d like to fight at 205, too,” Halsey said. “I’m always ready. I walk around at a big size. Putting on size isn’t an issue for me. When Bellator gives me the go-ahead, I’ll be ready for it.”

While forgoing such a dramatic weight cut is obviously a perk of moving to 205 for Halsey, he said he also looks forward to many of the matchups that await in Bellator‘s light heavyweight division. With fighters such as champ Liam McGeary, former UFC standout Phil Davis and the always entertaining and ferocious Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Halsey thinks exciting challenges await, and he’s ready to tackle them immediately after his fight with Grove.

“Oh, yeah [I’d be open to moving to 205 after Grove],” Halsey said. “The light heavyweight division is more stacked than the middleweight division in Bellator, so going up to light heavyweight kind of makes a little bit of sense to me. A lot of those fights would be interesting.”

After missing weight Thursday evening, the move to 205 could be on deck for the former champ.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as the situation continues to develop.

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Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson Says Cormier Is a Tougher Fight for Him Than Jon Jones

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will not fight Jon “Bones” Jones on May 23 as originally planned.
Instead, he will face Daniel “DC” Cormier, an opponent who stepped in at UFC 187 after Jones’ recent hit-and-run incident put the UFC light heavyweight tit…

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will not fight Jon “Bones” Jones on May 23 as originally planned.

Instead, he will face Daniel “DC” Cormier, an opponent who stepped in at UFC 187 after Jones’ recent hit-and-run incident put the UFC light heavyweight title up for grabs.

For most fighters, going from Jones to literally anyone else in the 205-pound class would be a blessing.

Jones’ only loss in 22 fights came via disqualification in a fight he was thoroughly dominating, and his eight title defenses are the most in the division’s history. Nobody, to this point, has had the answer for his vast array of skills inside the cage.

To Johnson, however, fighting Jones is preferable to facing the former Olympic wrestler, Cormier.

“The part that’s not disappointing (about the change of opponents) is that I get to fight another elite athlete, a guy who, in my opinion, is actually a tougher fight for me than Jon Jones,” Johnson said Wednesday on a UFC 187 media conference call.

Specifically, Johnson thinks that, since Cormier failed to capture the title from Jones at UFC 182 on January 3, DC will harness a different level of motivation for this fight.

After seeing gold in front of him and failing to snatch it, Cormier will come out stronger this time, knowing that he doesn’t want to experience defeat in a championship matchup again.

“Right now I feel that he’s just more difficult because, once again, I said it before, this is his second opportunity at a title shot,” Johnson said. “So he’s going to bring everything that he can bring to win that title. People get second chances in life, and this is his second chance, just like it was my second chance in life when I returned to the UFC, and you see what has happened so far as far as me.”

In addition, Johnson lauded Cormier‘s skills as a wrestler but added that the former heavyweight packs a more serious punch than Jones. Cormier, at 5’11”, is five inches shorter than Jones, and his striking game relies more heavily on pure power than Jones’ does.

“We’re a little crazy because we are wrestlers, so it’s just going to be one of those fights that’s just, I assume, an all-out war,” Johnson said. “You’ll get to see everything. Daniel has power, he has speed, he has good technique, and his wrestling is top-notch. Nobody can deny that.

“For me it’s just going to be a tougher opponent. He might be shorter than me, but the dude packs a lot of power, you know what I’m saying? And Jon isn’t known for packing power, he’s known for throwing crazy kicks, using his range and his reach, whatever you want to call it—stuff like that. DC is just that guy, and I truly believe that.”

Personally, I find it hard to disagree with anything Johnson said, but there’s no doubt that Jones brings a little extra something to the UFC Octagon on fight night. Styles make fights, so the fact that Jones already soundly defeated Cormier isn’t the only factor to consider here, but there’s something to be said for the way Jones out-wrestled and overpowered Cormier throughout the fight.

Jones is always just a little bigger, a little stronger, a little better than we expect when the lights go down, and that’s part of what has elevated him into “greatest of all time” discussions in relatively short order.

Should Johnson get past Cormier at UFC 187, it is likely we see Johnson vs. Jones once Bones returns to action to settle the debate for good.

What do you make of Johnson’s words? Is Cormier a tougher fight for him than Jones would have been?

Leave a comment, and we’ll discuss this light heavyweight title matchup.

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