UFC 181: Browne vs. Schaub

Travis Browne (16-2) vs. Brendon Schaub (11-4)

Two heavyweights square off on Saturday night as Travis Browne looks to get back into title contention with a victory against Brendon Schaub at UFC 181.

Browne was in position to get a chance for the heavyweight belt, but a loss in his most recent fight to Fabricio Werdum knocked him out of the running. That fight went the distance, but Werdum took control in the third round to get the unanimous decision victory. Despite the loss, Browne is still a very talented fighter who has a chance to be a force in the heavyweight class. At 32 years old, the Hawaii native is still in the prime of his career, and a win could jump him right back into contention. Schaub also enters this fight coming off a loss, as he fell to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 174 by way of split decision. He is a popular fighter among the fans of the UFC, but he is looking for a signature career in his victory. For BROWNE, he has to win this to get back in title contention, and that is exactly what he will do, getting a convincing victory by way of knockout.

"Hapa" Browne enters this fight with 16 victories in his career, with 12 of them coming by way of knockout. He also has two wins by both submission and decision. Browne (2.76 significant strikes per minute) does not lands as many punches as Schaub (3.05 significant strikes per minute), but he is much more powerful in his strikes, while also possessing the ability to end a fight with a kick. In a match against Alistair Overeem, he delivered a vicious front kick and then got on top of him and won the fight. Browne is three inches taller than Schaub, and that length will play a huge role in this fight.

"Big Brown" Schaub enters this fight with 11 victories in his career, with eight wins by way of knockout. He also has two wins by decision and one by submission. Schaub (2.27 takedown average) has an advantage over Browne (1.38 takedown average) when it comes to grappling, but he is not looking to end the match by submission. The biggest problem for Schaub in this fight is that his biggest strength is also the strength of his opponent, and Browne is just better at striking. Browne is going to come out ready to roll after a disappointing last performance, so Schaub will have to be ready. His best chance is to fight a smart match early, and then when it gets later in the match, take some chances.