Update: Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne is apparently a done deal, with the UFC reposting MMA Junkie’s report on its official Twitter feed:
RT: @mmajunkie: Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne set as UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 non-headliner dlvr.it/3PrtgN via @mmajunkie — UFC (@ufc) May 22, 2013
Travis Browne is taking a huge step up in competition at UFC on Fox Sports 1-1, where he’s expected to face Alistair Overeem in Boston’s TD Garden.
MMA Junkie reports that “The Demolition Man” will be returning to the Octagon on August 17, where he’ll look to rebound from a shocking TKO defeat suffered during UFC 156 at the hands of current UFC title contender Antonio Silva.
According to MMA Junkie, UFC president Dana White has also stated that Overeem vs. Browne won’t be the main event bout.
That leaves the rest of the main card (and the preliminary bouts) yet to be filled, although UFC president Dana White has promised MMA fans that the event will be “the best television card” the UFC has ever done (via MMA Weekly).
MMA Junkie had previously reported that Overeem would likely be returning to action at UFC 164 on August 31, although that plan has obviously changed in order to continue filling the very first event for the newly established Fox Sports 1 channel.
As it stands, here’s how the UFC on Fox Sports 1-1 lineup looks so far:
• Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne
• Matt Brown vs. Thiago Alves
• Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson
Browne is coming off a win in his last UFC outing, where he scored a “Knockout of the Night” victory against Gabriel Gonzaga at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.
However, the Greg Jackson’s MMA fighter isn’t too far removed from his own loss against “Bigfoot” Silva earlier in October 2012, where Browne was dealt his first MMA career loss via first-round TKO during UFC on FX 5.
It’s not known if this bout has any title implications, although Browne stands to make a significant leap up the official UFC rankings should he win.
Currently, former Strikeforce and DREAM champion Overeem still hovers in title talks, where he’s ranked as the No. 5 heavyweight in the UFC via a collective panel of media votes—while Browne is the No. 10 fighter in the division.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist. His work has appeared in NVision, PC World, Macworld, GamePro, 1UP, MMA Mania and The L.A. Times.
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