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UFC on FX 5: Which Fight Will Steal the Show?

The first flyweight title fight was met with lukewarm reactions by the fans at UFC 152. But Friday’s main card battle of 125ers will eliminate any fears over the viability of the division and will steal the show in the process.The Ultimate Fighte…

The Ultimate Fighter 14 winner John Dodson will welcome top-ranked flyweight Jussier da Silva to the UFC at this weekend’s event on FX in a bout that may determine the first contender for inaugural champ Demetrious Johnson’s belt. With such a big opportunity possibly at stake, expect both men to bring their A-game on Friday night.

Dodson has quickly become a fan favorite following his stint on the UFC’s long-running reality show. Easily rolling over his TUF opponents, “The Magician” has translated this success to MMA‘s main stage with impressive back-to-back wins in his two fights for the promotion.

In his last bout, Dodson made his return to the then newly created flyweight division, taking on UFC newcomer Tim Elliott. The TUF winner, although suffering from an injured left hand, was still able to use his athleticism and striking accuracy to take home the unanimous decision.

A fully healthy Dodson will bring an even wider arsenal to the table against da Silva. “The Magician’s” wrestling and increased strength at 125 will definitely be a challenge for the Brazilian.

Da Silva brings a completely different, yet deadly skill set, to the Octagon that will be interesting to see juxtaposed against Dodson’s style.

“Formiga” is a serious submission threat on the ground, thanks to his training with the famed team Nova Uniao. With his only career loss coming to Ian McCall, da Silva has already proven himself as one of the top flyweights in the world.

When these two enter the Octagon, it will be a surefire, back-and-forth battle that could go anywhere.

If Dodson’s gameplan is to try and strike with da Silva, expect a high-energy pace from the TUF alum with some creative attacks mixed in with his crisp strikes.

Da Silva will almost certainly look to take the fight to the ground, which may be even more entertaining than a stand-up battle. Dodson is quick in the scramble and has solid shots, but da Silva is a solid jiu-jitsu player who will constantly be attacking off his back with sweeps and submissions.

Regardless of where this fight goes, I expect viewers will be entertained by the outcome, as these 125ers will bring the energy and the action on Friday night, winning over some fans for the flyweight division in the process.

Be sure to like me on Facebook or follow @MattJuulMMA.

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UFC on FX 5: Info and Predictions for Browne vs. Bigfoot Silva Main Card

Undefeated in 14 professional fights, Travis Browne is climbing toward the top of the heavyweight division.So it comes as no surprise to see the 30-year-old Browne preparing for his first ever UFC main event bout, against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.With a…

Undefeated in 14 professional fights, Travis Browne is climbing toward the top of the heavyweight division.

So it comes as no surprise to see the 30-year-old Browne preparing for his first ever UFC main event bout, against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

With a win over the Strikeforce veteran, Browne would open the door to a whole new level of competition.

The last time he had an opportunity like the one he will have on Friday night, Browne fought to a lackluster draw against Cheick Kongo. It will take a much better performance against Silva for Browne to earn a bout with one of the heavyweight division’s elite fighters.

In addition to the heavyweight main event, the UFC on FX 5 main card features a number of other fighters who are closing in on title shots.

Let’s take a look at each of the four main card bouts that will be televised on FX on Friday night.

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UFC on FX 5: Travis Browne Thinks He Will Be ‘in the Mix’ with a Win

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 a…

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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UFC on FX 5: Fight Card, TV, Predictions & More for Browne vs. Bigfoot Silva

After last week’s Fuel TV card, UFC returns to prime time on FX this weekend with a huge card, literally and figuratively, headlined by Travis Browne and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Browne is slowly creeping up the heavyweight rankings in UFC. He has…

After last week’s Fuel TV card, UFC returns to prime time on FX this weekend with a huge card, literally and figuratively, headlined by Travis Browne and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Browne is slowly creeping up the heavyweight rankings in UFC. He has a 13-0-1 career record (4-0-1 in UFC). This will be the biggest challenge of his career, but he has a great equalizer with true knockout power in his strikes.

Silva is trying to do two things with this fight. First, he is trying to end a two-fight losing streak dating back to his last bout in Strikeforce against Daniel Cormier in the Heavyweight Grand Prix. Second, he wants to wash away the memory that fans have of the bloody pool that Cain Velasquez left him lying in at UFC 146 in May.

Where: Target Center in Minneapolis

When: Friday, Oct. 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Watch: Main card starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on FX; prelims air on Fuel at 5:00 p.m. ET; Facebook fights start at 4:15 p.m. ET

UFC ON FX 5 FIGHT CARD
Heavyweight Bout: Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva
Welterweight Bout: Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron
Flyweight Bout: John Dodson vs. Jussier de Silva
Welterweight Bout: Justin Edwards vs. Josh Neer
Lightweight Bout: Jeremy Stephens vs. Yves Edwards*
Lightweight Bout: Michael Johnson vs. Danny Castillo*
Lightweight Bout: Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares*
Lightweight Bout: Jacob Volkman vs. Shane Roller*
Featherweight Bout: Bart Palaszewski vs. Diego Nunes*
Flyweight Bout: Darren Uyenoyama vs. Phil Harris*
Lightweight Bout: Marcus LeVesseur vs. Carlo Prater**
Welterweight Bout: Aaron Simpson vs. Mike Pierce**

*Indicates Fuel Preliminary Fight

**Indicates Facebook Preliminary Fight

Browne’s Keys to Victory: Keep Fight Standing; Punch the Bigfoot Down

As mentioned before, Browne’s best asset is his knockout power. He wants to keep this fight standing so he has a chance to use it, as going to the ground will just play right into what Silva wants.

If Browne is able to get Silva out of his comfort zone and stay away from clinches, this fight could end up looking a lot like Silva’s last two bouts. Browne can’t afford to take the fight down to the mat.

Silva’s Keys to Victory: Get the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai Working

Silva does not have as much raw power as his huge frame would suggest. He can knock people out standing, but he is at his best when he is locking opponents up and controlling things on the ground.

We saw what he was able to do against Fedor Emelianenko on the ground. That is about as good as Silva can get. He just needs to find the right way to get back to that since it has been gone his last two fights.

Undercard Fight to Watch: Jeremy Stephens vs. Yves Edwards

This fight isn’t going to do anything for the lightweight title picture, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t provide great theater.

Stephens is the rare lightweight fighter with serious power in his striking. He uses a precise, quick attack to dismantle his opponents, slowly grinding them down before going for the knockout.

Edwards is a grizzled veteran who has been around the block more than once. He uses an eclectic arsenal to wear his opponents down, which could ultimately be too much for Stephens to handle.

Main-Event Prediction

I like the dichotomy between Browne and Silva. I think Bigfoot is a more well-rounded fighter than Browne, though Browne has the power you need to succeed in the heavyweight division. This could be a bloody mess before it is over.

Browne wins via second-round TKO

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‘UFC on FX 5? Exclusive: Jay Hieron’s Last Stand

(Just remember, Jay — no matter how many setbacks you suffer in life, there are still people who are much, much worse off than you are.)

By Andreas Hale

Last month, Jay Hieron (23-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) was days away from making his return to the UFC for the first time in seven years when the proverbial rug was pulled out from under him. The now infamous series of events that resulted in the cancelation of UFC 151 left Heiron and others out in the cold as he was prepared to face Jake Ellenberger in a welterweight showdown that marked his first fight in the Octagon since 2005. But while many of the fighters on the 151 card panicked and wondered when and if they’d get the opportunity to fight again, Hieron took it in stride, patiently waited, and was rescheduled to face Ellenberger at UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Bigfoot this Friday, October 5.

The Las Vegas-based fighter has been in this situation before. He was supposed to fight on the Affliction: Trilogy card in 2009 that ended up being canned, and a Strikeforce welterweight title shot against Nick Diaz later that year was shuttered after Diaz failed to get licensed by the California State Athletic Commission. It’s like Hieron walked under a ladder and broke a mirror while a black cat crossed his path.

“People were saying that I am cursed,” the Xtreme Couture fighter says with a hearty laugh. “At the end of the day, if there isn’t a twist on it for me then something isn’t right. I’ve learned to embrace all these things that surround the fight game. I’m never surprised.”

So, seriously, what’s a few more weeks when you’ve waited seven long years since your last UFC fight?

(Just remember, Jay — no matter how many setbacks you suffer in life, there are still people who are much, much worse off than you are.)

By Andreas Hale

So, seriously, what’s a few more weeks when you’ve waited seven long years since your last UFC fight?

“I was ready to go before but the postponement just meant I had more time to prepare,” Hieron says about the extra month he has had to wait before making his return to the Octagon. “I don’t want to say it’s a good thing, but I’ve been through that before. Of course I was a little down because it was here in Vegas, but at the end of the day it’s out of my control.”

Hieron’s last UFC appearance — a TKO-due-to-cut loss to Jonathan Goulet in October 2005 — took place well before the sport boomed into the worldwide phenomenon that it is today. Put it like this, the last time Hieron fought in the UFC, Jon Jones was an 18-year-old who had no idea what his future would hold for him, while Anderson Silva was far from the best pound for pound fighter in the world, as he was fresh off of a flying scissor heel hook from Ryo Chonan. Hieron is 37-years old now and promises that he’s a far different fighter than the one who went 0-2 in the UFC a lifetime ago. Despite the long wait, Hieron feels that the timing couldn’t be better.

“My career has taken me in different directions,” he says about his MMA stints in promotions including Bellator, Strikeforce, and the IFL. “A lot of guys aren’t blessed to make money outside of the UFC but I have and I’ve been able to get better. I could have been back for sure but I went for title shots with Diaz and money in other circumstances. Now couldn’t be any better, the timing is perfect.”

Standing across the cage from him will be a familiar face. Back in 2006, Jay Hieron handed Jake Ellenberger his first professional loss. More recently, Hieron cornered Martin Kampmann’s stunning comeback knockout victory over Ellenberger at The Ultimate Fighter finale this past June. “We know each other, it’s no secret,” he says about Ellenberger being his ticket back into the UFC. “But even though I won the last time I know that he’s gotten better. However, I’m a totally different fighter as well.”

In the back of his mind, Jay Hieron knows that this may be his last stand in the UFC. At the age of 37, very few chances are left and he’s looking to make the most out of this opportunity on October 5 because his window is closing rapidly.

“There’s only one Randy Couture, but I’ll fight as long as my body lets me,” Hieron says while noting that he feels better than he ever has. “I do everything to keep my body fresh and I have taken little punishment in my career. There will be a time when I will have to step back because you can’t outrun father time, but right now, I feel awesome. I still feel like I have my best years ahead of me and this is where I want to finish my career.”

All he has to do is take out Ellenberger in Friday’s co-main event in Minneapolis, MN.

“I’m definitely looking for the finish,” Hieron says.”I’m looking for him to make mistakes and I will surely look to capitalize. I’m confident in my skills and my team that we’ll be ready for anything he has to offer.”

UFC on FX 5: Questions We Have About Travis Browne

Travis Browne is one of the hottest prospects in the UFC’s heavyweight division. He’s undefeated in a 14-fight MMA career and was ranked this month as No. 10 on B/R’s list of the best heavyweights in the world. That’s quite a hy…

That’s quite a hype-train behind the man who’s notched up three straight wins in his last fights against the likes of Stefan Struve, Rob Broughton and Chad Griggs. On Friday he is set to face his toughest challenge yet, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva at UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Silva is coming off two losses, but with wins over Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski to his credit, he will prove to be a formidable challenge for the former TUF contender.

Here are some burning questions we have about the man.

Can he keep the pace into the third round?

Browne has finished nine of his 14 fights inside the first round; he rarely goes into the third. When he does, he is a shadow of the man that he was when he entered the Octagon.

In his fight against Rob Broughton, the fighter looked tired and weak as he gasped for air and grinded out a decision victory in September last year.

The year before, he was fought to a draw by Cheick Kongo, despite dominating the first round, because he couldn’t carry the momentum into the third.

Browne certainly has knockout power, but that power quickly vanishes as he goes deeper into the match. The big question is whether he’s learned to sustain that threat in the later rounds. Silva will be looking to find out.

How will he fare against a seasoned veteran?

Big Foot Silva, for all his faults, is the most experienced fighter Browne will have ever faced. And that experience doesn’t just come in terms of years—it’s having fought the big fight events.

Browne’s most imposing opponent, thus far, has been Cheick Kongo. That’s a far cry from the quality of fighter that Silva’s had to face, such as Fabricio Werdum, Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez—not to mention the last emperor himself, Fedor Emelianenko.

That in itself means this is a big step up in competition for Browne, and that brings with it all the pressure of cementing his position in the top 10. How will he cope?

Can he handle a top-level grappler?

Scoring a “Submission of the Night” against Chad Griggs is one thing, but to repeat that feat against BJJ black belt Antonio Silva is quite another.

Browne is only a BJJ purple belt himself and has never fought a wrestler or ground fighter of any caliber. He clearly does well when fighting sluggers, but if Silva turns this into a grappling match, we might see another story.

Is he really a top 10 fighter?

It’s a bold move to place Browne in the top 10—especially considering he has yet to face another top-ranked fighter.

Defeating the Chad Griggs and Rob Broughton‘s of this world is one thing, but the heavyweight division is thick with talent, and as of yet there’s no telling whether Browne really belongs there.

A win against Silva would, however, settle it.

Where does he go after Silva?

Admittedly beating Silva would be one of the most significant victories in Browne’s career, but let’s remember that Silva himself is on a two-fight losing streak.

All the glories of having become only the second man to have ever defeated Fedor Emelianenko, and in such convincing fashion, have long since faded. Silva doesn’t make for a top 10 opponent, so the burning questions we have for Browne is—who will?

One obvious answer is Stefan Struve, a man who just convincingly vanquished the much fancied Stipe Miocic via TKO in the second round last Saturday. However, Browne has already defeated Struve by knockout in the first round and will be reluctant to revisit that ground again, particularly as the Dutchman seems so resurgent.

Another possibility would be to take on the winner of Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin in December. But then, would either fighter take him into the top five where he wants to be?

Khurram Aziz is Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @khuramaziz1981

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