Tag: Travis Browne

Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva Talks a Big Game, but Will He Defeat Travis Browne?

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva exclaimed that now “he is focused, there are few heavyweights in the UFC that can defeat him.” Bold words from the American Top Team representative considering the last time Silva was seen i…

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva exclaimed that now “he is focused, there are few heavyweights in the UFC that can defeat him.” 

Bold words from the American Top Team representative considering the last time Silva was seen inside the Octagon, he was wiping his own blood from his face after a vicious assault from the former UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez, in May that left “Bigfoot” dazed and confused with a resounding TKO loss on his record.

Motivated to put that loss behind him, Silva stated that, “I’m coming into this fight with a lot of anger from the last few situations that I’ve been in. But I’m very excited and motivated to get my first UFC win.”

Battling the undefeated Travis “Hapa” Browne, Silva “think(s) Travis Browne is a good fighter, but I don’t know if Travis is in the top 10 based off his last three opponents. But other than that, I believe that after this victory, I’ll be among the top five or six heavyweights in the UFC.”

Vaulting himself into the top five or six heavyweights in the UFC is a bold statement from Silva, considering outside of “Bigfoot’s” defeat of Fedor Emelianenko in February 2011, the Brazilian’s last significant victory inside the cage would be a split-decision victory over the aging Ricco Rodriguez in February of 2008.

If Silva does defeat Browne at UFC on FX on October 5 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, would he be considered a top five heavyweight? That question I will refrain from debating right now.

What I am interested in debating is whether or not “Bigfoot” can defeat “Hapa.”

Both heavyweights will be relatively equal in size when they enter the Octagon. Browne is three inches taller, yet will most likely be giving up about 10 to 15 pounds of body weight.

The striking advantage is also relatively equal. Silva possesses 11 (T)KO victories, whereas Browne has amassed nine knockouts in his short career.

The difference in the stand-up game is their defense. “Bigfoot” has been challenged by athletic strikers in the past. His two most recent defeats to both Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier supports the evidence that an athletic big man who can avoid the slow, lumbering strikes of Silva can be a test for the Brazilian.

“Hapa’s” Hawaiian style Muay Thai striking offense flows fluidly with his athleticism and size. Browne is light on his feet inside the Octagon and moves with the relative athleticism of a Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots or even a Haloti Nata of the Baltimore Ravens.

Browne delivers devastating strikes from all angles with all his weapons. Head kicks, punches and a variety of other strikes have provided “Hapa” with skull-rattling (T)KO stoppages in his career.

Conversely, Silva is an exacting striker who grounds himself solid into the Octagon floor and delivers slow yet pinpoint strikes.

Even though some experts have defined “Bigfoot” as agile, his ability to create striking angles and maximize his reach have been an issue in the past and will be at the forefront of his stand-up exchange against Browne.

Browne will hold the advantage in the stand-up affair, whereas Silva will have a clear advantage in the ground game.

A black belt in BJJ, “Bigfoot” has used his mastery of the submission game to transition into more dominant positions, allowing the huge Brazilian the opportunity to deliver savage ground-and-pound.

Silva’s dominance on the ground was a key to his victory over the legendary Emelianenko as he continued to brutalize “The Last Emperor” with clubbing hammer fists from the mount.

Even though Silva holds the advantage in the grappling department, Browne’s takedown defense is stellar, allowing absolutely zero takedowns out of seven attempts by his opponents under the UFC banner.

If “Bigfoot” wants to take this fight to the ground, his lack of athleticism and pure wrestling talent will make it difficult for the Brazilian to change planes and execute a successful power double or a trip takedown from the clinch.

When the blood is clotted and the sweat is wiped on October 5, Travis Browne will remain undefeated within the UFC picking up his most significant victory to date.

Antonio Silva may possess confidence and the fighting skills on paper; however, he is no match athletically for “Hapa,” and Browne will expose Silva’s weakness with athletic big men and send the Brazilian back to American Top Team with an 0-2 UFC record.

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Travis Browne vs. Bigfoot Silva: Previews, Odds and Predictions for UFC on FX 5

UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot airs live on October 5 at 8 p.m. ET.Travis Browne will square off with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the evening’s main event. The winner of the fight will join the hunt for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.In the co-main eve…

UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot airs live on October 5 at 8 p.m. ET.

Travis Browne will square off with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the evening’s main event. The winner of the fight will join the hunt for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

In the co-main event of the evening Jake Ellenberger and Jay Hieron meet a month later than expected. The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 151, but then the card got cancelled. Now the fight will be given away free on FX.

Also on the main card, Josh Neer fights Justin Edwards, and John Dodson welcomes Jussier da Silva, better known as Formiga, to the UFC.

Here is a look at each fight on the main card, complete with betting odds and predictions.

Begin Slideshow

Five Reasons to Be Sort-Of Interested in ‘UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Bigfoot’


(Reason #6: To get your lady in the mood, obviously.) 

Keeping in line with last weekend’s UFC on FUEL 5 event, the UFC is casually dropping off another heavyweight sure-to-be-slugfest in our laps with this Friday’s UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot card, which, while not as stacked as the Nottingham affair, does provide plenty of reasons to tune in to a channel that half the country actually has. Plus, it goes down in the state who once had the balls to elect this man Governor, so even if the fights somehow end up sucking, there’s a good chance that the crowd will make up for it in the stands. Opal’s Glamorama, motherfuckers!

Let’s get started.

#1 – Fists Will Fly, Titans Will Fall

Yeah, we know it sounds cheesy, but there is simply no better way to describe the likelihood of extreme violence that Friday’s main event will bring. Antonio Silva has served little more purpose than a 265-pound punching back in his last two performances, dropping brutal losses to Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez under the Strikeforce and UFC banners. We’re not sure how a chin straight out of Tango and Cash is somehow being questioned, but needless to say, “Bigfoot” is probably going to be looking to utilize his BJJ background and devastating ground and pound to secure a victory against an undefeated KO artist like “Hapa.” The question is, will he be able to take it to the ground? Browne is no slouch on the mat, and has picked up nine of his thirteen victories in the first round, including five in the first minute(!!!!), so Silva better look for the takedown early if he values life on the outside of Dr. Moreau’s island.


(Reason #6: To get your lady in the mood, obviously.) 

Keeping in line with last weekend’s UFC on FUEL 5 event, the UFC is casually dropping off another heavyweight sure-to-be-slugfest in our laps with this Friday’s UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot card, which, while not as stacked as the Nottingham affair, does provide plenty of reasons to tune in to a channel that half the country actually has. Plus, it goes down in the state who once had the balls to elect this man Governor, so even if the fights somehow end up sucking, there’s a good chance that the crowd will make up for it in the stands. Opal’s Glamorama, motherfuckers!

Let’s get started.

#1 – Fists Will Fly, Titans Will Fall

Yeah, we know it sounds cheesy, but there is simply no better way to describe the likelihood of extreme violence that Friday’s main event will bring. Antonio Silva has served little more purpose than a 265-pound punching back in his last two performances, dropping brutal losses to Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez under the Strikeforce and UFC banners. We’re not sure how a chin straight out of Tango and Cash is somehow being questioned, but needless to say, “Bigfoot” is probably going to be looking to utilize his BJJ background and devastating ground and pound to secure a victory against an undefeated KO artist like “Hapa.” The question is, will he be able to take it to the ground? Browne is no slouch on the mat, and has picked up nine of his thirteen victories in the first round, including five in the first minute(!!!!), so Silva better look for the takedown early if he values life on the outside of Dr. Moreau’s island.

If you’ve got an extra ten seconds on you, we suggest you check out Browne’s destruction of UFC vet/porn star Aaron Brink. Word has it that Brink claims he could totally take Browne 10 out of 10 times in a rematch, though.

#2 – The Next Flyweight Title Challenger Will Be Decided

John Dodson is the closest thing the UFC has to a walking cartoon character. Specifically, Roger Rabbit. And now he’s knocking on the door of a title shot. It’s hard to believe that the TUF 14 bantamweight winner could already be considered a top contender, but given the slim pickings of the weight class, we could easily get behind a Dodson/Johnson title fight if he is able to defeat Jussier da Silva. That’s no easy task, however, as da Silva has been on an absolute tear since dropping his only loss to Ian McCall back in February of 2011: five wins, four submission stoppages. In a division that is already facing criticism for it’s “lack of exciting finishes” (criticism that we think is for the birds), the Dodson/da Silva fight looks like it will easily quell that walla for the time being.

#3 – At Last, At Last, Jay Hieron is Back

We’ve talked a lot about curses these past few months, thanks in no part to the never-ending string of injuries that have all but made the conspiracy theory a scientific fact. But you want to talk about cursed? Look no further than Jay Hieron. First, he was screwed out of a Bellator title when he fought Ben Askren. Then, got stuck in contract limbo with Bellator for the remainder of the year. Then, he was finally set to make his UFC return, only to have an unprecedented event cancellation dash those plans before his likely tear-filled eyes.

If history is any indication, Hieron will likely slip on a pipe backstage and knock himself unconscious come Friday night, but on the off chance he doesn’t, we will finally get to see “The Thoroughbred” test himself against one of the best welterweights in the division in Jake Ellenberger. “The Juggernaut (bitch!)” is coming off a tough loss to streaking comeback artist Martin Kampmann at the TUF 15 Finale and will clearly be looking for an impressive win over Hieron to launch himself right back into the list of contenders. Expect fireworks here, folks.

#4 – Somebody’s Getting Dicknailed

What UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot lacks in name power, it makes up for in the chance to witness a good old fashioned dicknailing. You know what we’re talking about, and so does Josh Neer, who was viciously dicknailed by Mike Pyle in his last appearance at UFC on FX 3. Suffice it to say, with matchups like Jeremy Stephens vs. Yves Edwards, Ellenberger vs. Hieron, the presence of Josh Neer (who could be on either end of the equation), and of course our main event, somebody is going to get dicknailed tomorrow night. We just hope that whoever’s running the liveblog has the good sense to use the term when the moment arrives.

#5 – The Comedic Stylings of This Man

Your response, Mr. President?

UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot kicks off live this Friday from the Target Center in Minneapolis starting at 5 p.m. EST.

–J. Jones

UFC on FX 5: Antonio Silva Believes Browne Win Will Put Him in the Top 5

After two straight losses to Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva believes a win over Travis Browne will put him among the best in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Silva, who faces Browne at UFC on FX 5 this Frid…

After two straight losses to Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva believes a win over Travis Browne will put him among the best in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Silva, who faces Browne at UFC on FX 5 this Friday, was talking to MMAJunkie.com about his recent performances and desire to defeat Browne.

I think Travis Browne is a good fighter, but I don’t know if Travis is in the top 10 based off his last three opponents. But other than that, I believe that after this victory, I’ll be among the top five or six heavyweights in the UFC.

That’s a bold claim for a fighter with a chequered career like Silva.

It’s true, until the Brazilian met Cormier in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament, he had been on a tear, winning three straight fights culminating in the defeat of MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko in 2011.

However, the memories of those feats have quickly vanished as first Cormier, and then AKA teammate Velasquez made short work of Silva, both finishing him in the first round.

Silva says that those defeats have fueled a fire in him.

“I’m coming into this fight with a lot of anger from the last few situations that I’ve been in,” he said. “But I’m very excited and motivated to get my first UFC win.”

Browne will have his own point to prove. The 6’7″ heavyweight has gone undefeated in a 14-fight MMA career, with only a draw to Cheick Kongo marring an otherwise unblemished record.

That run brings with it its own hype, and despite the fact that Browne is yet to defeat a top-ranked heavyweight, Silva clearly thinks a win over him would mean a win over a rising star.

UFC on FX 5 will go down at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday, Oct. 5.

 

Khurram Aziz is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter:

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UFC on FX 5: Questions We Have About Antonio Silva

What to make of Antonio “Big Foot” Silva? On paper and in person, he looks like the meanest, baddest heavyweight fighter in MMA. A BJJ and Judo black belt, a professional since 2005, an imposing 6’4 264 lbs behemoth with emphatic wins…

What to make of Antonio “Big Foot” Silva?

On paper and in person, he looks like the meanest, baddest heavyweight fighter in MMA. A BJJ and Judo black belt, a professional since 2005, an imposing 6’4 264 lbs behemoth with emphatic wins over the likes of Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski—Silva looks like the most feared fighter in MMA.

But appearances can be deceiving.

His career history is checkered at best and lately, he’s been taking beatings at the hands of AKA’s finest (two straight first-round stoppages at the hands of Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez respectively).

On Friday, he takes on Travis Browne at UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis. Browne, a much-hyped heavyweight will prove a tough challenge for the Brazilian.

Here are some of the questions we have for Silva going into the match.

 

How’s his chin?

Huge, is the obvious answer. The genetic disorder Silva was born with, Acromegaly, has blessed Big Foot with one of the biggest chins in MMA, which you would think translated to an ability to take a shot.

Not so.

Wrestler Daniel Cormier made short work of him, knocking him out in the first round with a punch to the jaw which also broke Cormier’s hand.

Browne is arguably a much more dangerous striker and credits seven of his 13 career wins to his fists. Most terrifying of them all was the superman punch he finished Stefan Struve with in May of last year.

If Browne lands something similar on Silva’s ample noggin, will the Brazilian stay on his feet?

 

How will Silva deal with his back-to-back losses?

A year and a half ago, Silva was on top of the world. After an ignominious loss to Fabricio Werdum, he’d seemingly turned his career around and notched a three-fight winning streak culminating in a TKO victory over legend Fedor Emelianenko.

But all those expectations have come crashing down after he was beaten by both Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez in the UFC.

Both those defeats were resounding. Silva looked helpless against the two AKA fighters and few now consider him the prospect they once did.

After two back-to-back losses, “Big Foot” is on the “back foot” and quite possibly fighting for his place in the UFC. How will he cope with this pressure?

 

Will he take this fight to the ground?

Silva has an exceptional ground game. He’s shown this several times in his career. He showed it in his ground-and-pound defeat of Emelianenko in 2011 and his submission of Jim York two years before that.

However, he rarely utilises his high-level grappling. More often than not, he’s on the receiving end of a takedown and has preferred to “stand-and-bang” with his opponents.

That strategy is unlikely to work against Browne.

Browne has proven his worth as a slugger throughout his career, but he himself has question marks over how he’d fair against a grappler, or off his back. This is something Silva should look to exploit. The question is, will he?

 

Will he take the fight to the distance?

In 20 fights, Silva has only gone the distance three times. Like most heavyweights, it’s rare to see a Silva fights go to decision.

However, going the distance is an obvious opportunity to exploit Travis Browne’s weakness. Silva’s opponent rarely leaves the first round, and when he does, he seems a shadow of the man who stepped into the cage at the beginning of the night.

Against Chad Griggs at UFC 145, Browne was worn out by the second round, but thankfully so too was his opponent, allowing him to huff and puff his way to a decision win.

Similar, against Cheick Kongo, despite starting strong at UFC 120, Browne had to make do with a draw as he was worn down over 15 minutes of fighting.

That is something Silva should look to exploit as long as his own cardio stacks up. If Big Foot can get the fight into the later rounds, then that would be an obvious opportunity to test his grappling and a huge opportunity to secure a win.

 

What’s next for Silva?

Considering some of the big name opponents Silva has fought, and despite the hype surrounding Browne, the tall American is, nevertheless, a step-down in competition to what Silva is used to.

It’s clear what Silva’s win would mean for Browne—it would be a victory over one of the most experienced heavyweights in MMA and propel him towards another Top 10 opponent.

But for Silva, the benefits are less clear. He’s already lost to two top-five fighters, and a win over a relative unknown will do little to rectify those setbacks.

It’s hard to imagine a win on Friday will convince the UFC to line-up another ranked opponent. It’s also hard to imagine that a ranked opponent would take on Silva, even if he defeats Browne, considering how little that match would mean for their career.

So it’s likely the Brazilian will still be fighting a journeyman or two for a couple of fights to come, even if he does defeat Browne. But the question is, who?

 

Khurram Aziz is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter:

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UFC on FX 5: Is Travis Browne a Legit Threat to Junior Dos Santos?

Travis “Hapa” Browne has been on a tear since his Octagon debut back at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale. Since then he has won all his bouts, with the exception of a draw against Cheick Kongo.Hapa has looked better and better in each of his fights, and …

Travis “Hapa” Browne has been on a tear since his Octagon debut back at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale. Since then he has won all his bouts, with the exception of a draw against Cheick Kongo.

Hapa has looked better and better in each of his fights, and the UFC has acknowledged that by giving him an elite opponent in the main event of the coming FX card.

Browne faces a high-level opponent in Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. But if Browne wins this bout convincingly, just how far is he from title contention and a possible shot at champion Junior dos Santos? And if he were to be granted a shot against JDS in the near future, does he possess a legitimate threat?

Yes and no.

At this point in time, I believe Browne isn’t quite ready for the power and skill the champion brings to the table. Don’t get me wrong, Browne has power and skill as well, but he needs more time to develop it.

If he defeats Silva in their main event bout, I would give him maybe one or two more fights against perennial heavyweight contenders. If he wins those fights, then I would give him a title shot, assuming JDS is still champion at that point.

Browne is a great fighter at the moment, and a win against Silva, plus some extra added time to hone his ever-improving skill set, will put him in an excellent position should the bout with JDS ever become a reality.

Browne is an extremely well-rounded fighter who moves well for a big man and also uses creativity and all the weapons he has at his ever-expanding disposal.

If he get’s his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling on par with his striking, and adds a few more big-name wins, Hapa will definitely be a big threat to the heavyweight champion.

Tweet me @FuscoNation16.

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