UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva

Travis Browne (13-0-1) vs. Antonio Silva (16-4)

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will look to deliver Travis Browne’s first career loss as the heavyweights collide in the headline bout on UFC on FX 5 Friday night in Minneapolis.

The 6-foot-7 Browne does not mess around, with 11 of his 13 career victories ending before the final bell. He is 4-0-1 since joining UFC with big wins including a 1st-round KO over Stefan Struve and most recently a submission of Chad Griggs. Silva is coming off a loss in his first career UFC bout to Cain Velasquez and also fell in the bout prior to that to Daniel Cormier. But unlike Browne, Silva has fought and beaten some of the elite competition in this weight class. Prior to those two defeats, Silva earned impressive KOs against Fedor Emelianenko and Mike Kyle. Eleven of his 16 career victories have been knockouts. Ultimately, with the better experience, Silva should not be so much of an underdog here as Browne has yet to go up against a talent like the Brazilian. Take the money and SILVA here.

At 6-foot-7, Browne is among the biggest fighters in the sport and holds a three-inch height advantage over Silva. His career is short, just three years, but the 30-year-old has shot up through the MMA world in that time without a loss, beginning his UFC career in 2010 with a TKO in The Ultimate Fighter 11 finale against James McSweeney. The most notable fight on his resume was the ensuing fight, a controversial draw against Cheick Kongo. Browne brings a well-rounded game to the table, though he excels in striking. He does not really have a signature victory, and this could be that opportunity.

Neither of Silva’s past two losses have left the first round, though he was fighting some of the best. The first was Cormier, the eventual Strikeforce champ, and the next was to Velasquez, who both took Silva down with knockouts. But he’s had ample time to recover from that Velasquez loss in May, and with Silva’s unmatched power, a fight can end at any point. Silva’s karate and judo make him a difficult matchup for everybody, especially somebody like Browne who has yet to fight this high-class of an opponent. Take him and the money here for a top-of-the-card upset.