Ever since mixed martial arts introduced weight classes, the heavyweight division has always been the thinnest on talent. With a top limit of 260 lbs, it’s rare to find men of that size, and even rarer to find athletes: which is why, outside the …
Ever since mixed martial arts introduced weight classes, the heavyweight division has always been the thinnest on talent.
With a top limit of 260 lbs, it’s rare to find men of that size, and even rarer to find athletes: which is why, outside the elite packing the top 10 of the UFC, its slim pickings when it comes to deciding on the fighters to watch out for in the division.
Nevertheless, a few standout names have caught the attention of MMA fans everywhere, not least Travis Browne who is set to face Antonio Silva at UFC on FX 5 Friday.
The hype-train behind Browne is certainly in full stream, and could easily be derailed tomorrow – which is why he is a prospect and not a sure thing. Here’s a list of the 10 heavyweights in a similar situation.
Jake Ellenberger had everything stripped away from him when lost to Martin Kampmann, something he couldn’t afford in the already log-jammed UFC welterweight division. But where some fighters would get a mere tune-up fight against an overmatched opponen…
Jake Ellenberger had everything stripped away from him when lost to Martin Kampmann, something he couldn’t afford in the already log-jammed UFC welterweight division.
But where some fighters would get a mere tune-up fight against an overmatched opponent, Ellenberger is instead facing a worthy challenge in Jay Hieron.
As the first man (out of only six) to defeat “the Juggernaut” over seven years, the risks and rewards are equally high for Hieron.
To his credit, Hieron has stayed near the top of the division with an impressive 13-2 run since 2007, grinding through the IFL, Strikeforce and Bellator.
It’s one of the division’s most important matchups, and could very well define what happens in the title picture at 170 pounds. There are several questions we have about Ellenberger going into this fight, and hopefully all of them can be answered this Friday night.
Can He Pull the Trigger Against Jay Hieron?
To most eyes, there was no good reason that Ellenberger couldn’t put away the battered, bloodied Kampmann. However, the problem with that was two-fold.
Kampmann can somehow shrug off beatings that would kill a full-grown bull, and when Ellenberger swarmed him in the opening stanza of their fight, his inability to land a “kill shot” let the Danish fighter stay in the heat long enough to get an upset win.
Ellenberger can’t afford that same mistake against Hieron. If he manages to put his enemy on shaky legs early in the fight, Ellenberger needs to zero in with a knockout shot or pour on enough damage that the referee is forced to make the save.
How Will He Be Affected By His First KO Loss?
Ellenberger‘s been outpointed and submitted, but not many people expected him to be stopped with a vicious set of Thai clinch knees followed up by ground-and-pound.
Considering how dominant he was through most of the match, it must have been demoralizing to lose to Kampmann and to have the tides turn that quickly.
Does that kind of loss make him rethink his entire stand-up game? Ellenberger‘s never been gun-shy or cautious about throwing heat, but one has to wonder if he’ll be protecting his chin a bit more.
Does Xtreme Couture Have His Number?
Jay Hieron trained and cornered Kampmann during his fight with Ellenberger, and the Xtreme Couture duo will put their heads together once again for this weekend’s bout.
That alone may give Hieron a slight advantage in the psychological department, and he’ll also be the first person to ever fight Ellenberger twice. Is the combined 4.5 rounds of experience between him and Kampmann enough to have a set plan for victory?
Should anyone attempt to “figure out” Ellenberger, it may as well be these training partners. That’s a unique situation that ultimately favors two heads against one.
How Will He Look If the Fight Goes the Distance?
Both Diego Sanchez and Kampmann have reminded everyone that Ellenberger is indeed mortal. “The Juggernaut” is at his most vulnerable if he gets dragged into deep waters, where he’s more likely to be caught by counter-punches and flurrying shots.
That small weakness is what almost got Ellenberger overwhelmed in the final round of his fight with Sanchez, and against Kampmann, his advantage slipped away the longer the fight went on.
Hieron doesn’t have as stiff a chin as Ellenberger does, but if he can stay off the receiving end of too many punches, he might be able to grapple the air out of his shorter, bulkier foe and try sinking him during the third round.
Does a Win Put Him Back In The Title Picture?
One of the biggest mistakes Ellenberger made after defeating Sanchez was not calling out Carlos Condit. Even though Condit likely would’ve turned down a direct challenge in order to wait for Georges St. Pierre, Ellenberger‘s dominant winning streak and near-win against the now-interim champion looked extremely credible.
But even if he beats Hieron on Friday—with relative ease, no less—Ellenberger will still be just one fight removed from a devastating upset loss. How far has that set him back? How long will Ellenberger have to go before getting a title eliminator bout of his own?
The last time the UFC held an event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Georges St-Pierre successfully defended his UFC welterweight title against Jon Fitch, while Brock Lesnar scored his first UFC win with a unanimous decision over Heath Herring.On Friday, Oct…
The last time the UFC held an event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Georges St-Pierre successfully defended his UFC welterweight title against Jon Fitch, while Brock Lesnar scored his first UFC win with a unanimous decision over Heath Herring.
On Friday, October 5 the promotion will return to the scene of that August 2008 fight card when it presents UFC on FX 5 from the Target Center.
The main event on Friday’s card will see Travis Browne put his unbeaten record of 13-0-1 on the line against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, a fighter looking to show that he deserves to be mentioned as one of the top heavyweights in the UFC.
The co-main event of the evening will see Jake Ellenberger square off against Jay Hieron in a welterweight matchup. Ellenberger will look to get back on track after dropping his last fight to Martin Kampmann, while Hieron will look to make the most of this opportunity, his second go-round with the UFC.
Another fight of note is the flyweight scrap between John Dodson and Jussierda Silva, with the winner going on to face Demetrious Johnson in Johnson’s first defense of the UFC flyweight title.
Full UFC on FX 5 fight card:
Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva
Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron
John Dodson vs. JussierFormiga
Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards
Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens
Danny Castillo vs. Michael Johnson
Dennis Hallman vs. ThiagoTavares
Shane Roller vs. Jacob Volkmann
Diego Nunes vs. Bart Palaszewski
Phil Harris vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Marcus LeVesseur vs. Carlo Prater
Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson
Weigh-ins for UFC on FX 5 will take place on Thursday, October 4 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 PT, and Bleacher Report will cover the action as it takes place. Be sure to check back for full weigh-in results.
The fight was originally scheduled to co-main the cancelled UFC 151 card, but now the rematch between Jake Ellenberger and recently re-signed Jay Hieron will go down at UFC on FX 5 this Friday night in Minneapolis, Minn.The fight will once again s…
The fight was originally scheduled to co-main the cancelled UFC 151 card, but now the rematch between Jake Ellenberger and recently re-signed Jay Hieron will go down at UFC on FX 5 this Friday night in Minneapolis, Minn.
The fight will once again serve as the co-main event and a win for either man would place them in the mix so to speak at 170.
The two men faced off in IFL in 2006, where Hieron handed Ellenberger his first career loss. Now, Ellenberger has climbed the ranks and holds notable wins over top guys such as Diego Sanchez and Jake Shields.
Hieron hasn’t fought inside the Octagon since 2005, but he has spent time with both Strikeforce and Bellator, including winning the Bellator Season Four Welterweight Tournament.
Ellenberger vs. Hieron has Fight of the Night potential, but before we get to looking at possible post-fight bonuses, let’s take a look at how these two match up on paper with a head-to-toe breakdown of the UFC on FX 5 co-main event.
UFC on FX 5 is coming Friday and will feature twelve exciting bouts, including a main event between two heavyweights who love to finish fights.The card also has a nice selection of lightweight bouts as well as the return of Jay Hieron to the UFC.Twelve…
UFC on FX 5 is coming Friday and will feature twelve exciting bouts, including a main event between two heavyweights who love to finish fights.
The card also has a nice selection of lightweight bouts as well as the return of Jay Hieron to the UFC.
Twelve fights mean 24 guys have a chance to either make a name for themselves and climb the rankings or find themselves wondering what went wrong and what could have been.
Let’s take a closer look at all the fighters on the card and rank the men fighting at UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Bigfoot.
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 FedorEmelianenko 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.
Jake