We are now just days away from a highly anticipated UFC card, as the Octagon is set to head to Boston, Massachusetts for UFC Fight Night 81 this Sunday (January 17, 2015) live on FOX Sports 1. With an intriguing four fight main card, the promotion has stacked the deck from top to bottom, as
We are now just days away from a highly anticipated UFC card, as the Octagon is set to head to Boston, Massachusetts for UFC Fight Night 81 this Sunday (January 17, 2015) live on FOX Sports 1.
With an intriguing four fight main card, the promotion has stacked the deck from top to bottom, as the event promises to be a fantastic one.
As we near in on the action, let’s take a look at why you should consider clearing your schedule to watch UFC Fight Night 81:
After months of speculation, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne has confirmed it. He is, indeed, in a romantic relationship with UFC women’s bantamweight champion, and just general A-list celebrity, Ronda Rousey. Browne confirmed this in an interview (…
After months of speculation, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne has confirmed it. He is, indeed, in a romantic relationship with UFC women’s bantamweight champion, and just general A-list celebrity, Ronda Rousey. Browne confirmed this in an interview (Warning, NSFW Language) with Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com during Monday’s installment of The MMA Hour.
While Browne refused to say they were dating, he flatly stated (via Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com), “she’s my woman and I’m her man. There’s no boyfriend, girlfriend stuff. There’s no dating. We’re together.”
The two have been rumored to be a couple since August, when Browne’s estranged wife, fitness model Jenna Renee, accused the two of seeing one another. This, worth noting, all occurred while Browne was being investigated by the UFC for domestic violence due to accusations made by his wife on Instagram. While Browne came out of the UFC’s investigation unscathed, Renee has stood by her claims.
According to Browne, the two began seeing one another after he began training at the Glendale Fighting Club, the gym where Rousey trains under Edmond Tarverdyan, after a lengthy stint with the famed Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn camp. Browne began training there in 2014 ahead of his fight with Brendan Schaub who, ironically, was also involved with Rousey romantically. Browne would win the fight via knockout.
While the rumors persisted, the two had remained quiet about their possible relationship until just now. Both of them are currently preparing for fights, with Browne set to face Matt Mitrione at UFC Fight Night 81 and Rousey lined up to headline UFC 193 against Holly Holm.
Brendan Schaub officially let the cat out of the bag about his past romantic dealings with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in his appearance on Joe Rogan’s Fight Companion earlier this month.
According to Schaub, the relation…
Brendan Schaub officially let the cat out of the bag about his past romantic dealings with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in his appearance on Joe Rogan’s Fight Companion earlier this month.
According to Schaub, the relationship never worked out because Rousey needed a guy who didn’t mind taking a “back seat.”
Two weeks have passed, and Schaub is once again knee-deep in Rousey conversation. This time, the topic revolved around Rousey and UFC heavyweight Travis Browne. The UFC recently removed Browne from International Fight Week after Jenna Renee Webb, his wife, posted pictures on social media implicating him in domestic abuse.
If Browne didn’t already have enough on his plate, he was recently caught on camera in a restaurant sitting at a table side-by-side with Rousey.
Schaub addressed the matter in a short clip from an upcoming episode of The Fighter & The Kidpodcast. A video from the segment was uploaded by Reddit user Aloumun and can be viewed in full here(warning: NSFW Language).
“It’s tough when you go, ‘Don’t be a do-nothing b—h’ and you hate on Mayweather, and then your boyfriend’s over here beating the s—t out of his wife,” said Schaub. “Not to mention, he’s still married. So it’s tough when you’re a role model.”
Rousey has gone after Mayweather in the past regarding his history of domestic abuse. At the 2015 ESPY Awards, she took a direct shot at the undefeated boxing legend on the red carpet after beating him for the “Best Fighter” award.
Neither Browne nor Rousey have yet to respond to Schaub’s comments. Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as more information becomes available on this developing story.
Brendan Schaub officially let the cat out of the bag about his past romantic dealings with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in his appearance on Joe Rogan’s Fight Companion earlier this month.
According to Schaub, the relation…
Brendan Schaub officially let the cat out of the bag about his past romantic dealings with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in his appearance on Joe Rogan’s Fight Companion earlier this month.
According to Schaub, the relationship never worked out because Rousey needed a guy who didn’t mind taking a “back seat.”
Two weeks have passed, and Schaub is once again knee-deep in Rousey conversation. This time, the topic revolved around Rousey and UFC heavyweight Travis Browne. The UFC recently removed Browne from International Fight Week after Jenna Renee Webb, his wife, posted pictures on social media implicating him in domestic abuse.
If Browne didn’t already have enough on his plate, he was recently caught on camera in a restaurant sitting at a table side-by-side with Rousey.
Schaub addressed the matter in a short clip from an upcoming episode of The Fighter & The Kidpodcast. A video from the segment was uploaded by Reddit user Aloumun and can be viewed in full here(warning: NSFW Language).
“It’s tough when you go, ‘Don’t be a do-nothing b—h’ and you hate on Mayweather, and then your boyfriend’s over here beating the s—t out of his wife,” said Schaub. “Not to mention, he’s still married. So it’s tough when you’re a role model.”
Rousey has gone after Mayweather in the past regarding his history of domestic abuse. At the 2015 ESPY Awards, she took a direct shot at the undefeated boxing legend on the red carpet after beating him for the “Best Fighter” award.
Neither Browne nor Rousey have yet to respond to Schaub’s comments. Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as more information becomes available on this developing story.
Travis Browne’s manager has revealed his client “1,000 percent” denies allegations of domestic violence.
Browne has been axed from the UFC’s International Fight Week after Jenna Renee Webb accused him of physically harming her on social medi…
Travis Browne‘s manager has revealed his client “1,000 percent” denies allegations of domestic violence.
Browne has been axed from the UFC’s International Fight Week after Jenna Renee Webb accused him of physically harming her on social media.
John Fosco, Browne’s representative, questioned the allegations and suggested they were premeditated, reported by Matt Erickson and Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie:
If Travis Browne abuses a petite woman, do you think that’s what happens? If he’s an abuser, you’ve got to get someone involved—he’s a dangerous guy (as a fighter). You go to the police. … Abuse is unacceptable.
(Discussing the allegations ahead of fight week) That looks kind of measured. It’s kind of bizarre since they haven’t seen each other in five weeks. She hasn’t said anything about this in five weeks, and I don’t know if she’s ever gone to make a report.
Webb’s Instagram post can be seen below:
UFC has reacted to the situation with an official statement, confirming an investigation will take place, reported via Ryan McKinnell of Yahoo Sports:
UFC is aware of the social media allegations made against heavyweight Travis Browne. The organization requires all athletes to act in an ethical and responsible manner, as mandated by the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. UFC will not tolerate domestic violence or any other violation of the policy. Every athlete is deserving of due process and this situation, as with any official allegations, will be duly reviewed and thoroughly investigated by an independent party.
Browne is currently ranked fifth in the heavyweight division with a career record of 17-3-1. He suffered defeat in an all-out war against Andrei Arlovski in May, but he is unlikely to have lost significant momentum after the thrilling battle between two former training partners.
However, Browne is the latest of a series of high-profile fighters to potentially face major punishment. UFC poster boy Jon Jones was stripped of his light heavyweight title and suspended in April after he allegedly crashed his car into another vehicle, decided to flee and then headed back to grab a large sum of money before departing again.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson—who was due to face Jones for the belt and subsequently lost the interim battle against Daniel Cormier—recently had a domestic violence case dismissed by a Florida judge, reported by UFC.
In February, Brazilian legend Anderson Silva received a suspension after failing two drug tests. Lightweight competitor Gilbert Melendez was more recently handed a suspension for failing a test of his own, reported by Sky Sports.
Browne will need to prove his innocence before he will step into the Octagon again.
An enforced punishment will severely hamper his reputation and chances of grabbing the gold at this stage in his career.
For the first time since we saw Cain Velasquez batter Junior dos Santos for a second time at UFC 166 in October 2013, the heavyweight title picture feels open—wide open.
Call it a shot at newly crowned heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum (whom I…
For the first time since we saw Cain Velasquez batter Junior dos Santos for a second time at UFC 166 in October 2013, the heavyweight title picture feels open—wide open.
Call it a shot at newly crowned heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum (whom I picked to defeat Velasquez at UFC 188, mind you), but he doesn’t feel invincible. Much like this new wave of champions that includes the likes of Daniel Cormier, Chris Weidman, Robbie Lawler and T.J. Dillashaw, Werdum doesn’t carry this palpable sense of impermeability his predecessor once had.
Jon Jones can beat Cormier, Rockhold stands a good chance against Weidman, and just about any of the top four contenders could topple Lawler and Dillashaw in their respective divisions.
The same goes for Werdum, who has many questions to answer as he begins his journey in certifying himself as the undisputed baddest man on the planet.
Truthfully, any fighter can defeat any other fighter on any given night—especially the big guys at heavyweight. But having a puncher’s chance against the champion doesn’t necessarily make one a contender in the division. So forgive me in advance for not including anybody outside the UFC’s top five heavyweights in this conversation (especially you, Ben Rothwell, because I really enjoyed your post-fight nonsense).
To clarify, this isn’t black or white. Pretenders do not stand a good chance to beat Werdum—contenders do.
