UFC on FX 5 is set for Friday, October 5 and will feature a main event that pits rising heavyweight star Travis Browne against former Strikeforce contender Antonio Silva.
The bout will be a pivotal one for both fighters, each of whom are attempting to assert himself more prominently in the UFC’s heavyweight title picture.
For Silva, a win over Browne would vindicate his role as a major player in the heavyweight division and would supply proof that he can hack it on the big stage.
Browne views his upcoming fight as a stepping stone into the upper echelon of the weight class. With a victory, he sees his next bout coming against a strong title player.
The Hawaiian spoke to Inside MMA about what his UFC on FX 5 bout means to him:
I think after this fight you’re going to put me in the mix with all the contenders, you know? You have Cain Velasquez, (Daniel) Cormier, obviously (Junior) Dos Santos is the champion, you have (Alistair) Overeem, and then you kind of have the guys who are trying to make a name for themselves and trying to get to that No. 1 contender spot. And I think that puts me in the mix to start fighting guys like Cormier and Cain, and guys like Overeem as well.
Browne makes a strong case for himself—with a win at UFC on FX 5 he would move to 5-0-1 with the promotion and would also add a fairly recognizable name to his hit list.
So how’s Browne planning on getting things done? He also shed some light on that during the interview:
I’m quicker on my feet (than Silva). I’m on my toes, and I can move around the cage a little bit. But I also hit just as hard as any other heavyweight in the division, and I think that that’s going to pose some problems for him (Silva) during Friday.
If Browne is able to use that power to end Silva’s night early, he may just get the contender bout he is looking for.
It all goes down from the Target Center in Minneapolis this Friday night at UFC on FX 5.
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