THE UFC RETURNS to home soil this weekend as Travis Browne takes on Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in a five-round heavyweight showdown that headlines the UFC on FX 5 event in Minnesota.
For Irish fans, the late-night alarms must be set again in order to watch the action live but after the tumultuous last couple of weeks, it’s better to have some fights to watch rather than focus on the outside distractions.
This event boasts a decent main card with the likes of Jake Ellenberger and Jay Hieron in action while one of the more recent winners of “The Ultimate Fighter” series, John Dodson, looks to stake his flyweight title claims as he faces Jussier da Silva.
Josh Neer and Justin Edwards make up the main card while Jeremy Stephens, Jacob Volkmann and Michael Johnson are the luminaries on the undercard.
Silva looking to snap Browne’s unbeaten streak
Travis Browne has an untarnished 13-0-1 unbeaten career record which includes five contests in the UFC but he has been sometimes overlooked as a genuine contender in the heavyweight division.
The standout win on his record is his impressive “Superman-punch” KO of Stefan Struve at UFC 130, which gained even more credence after Struve’s impressive victory over Stipe Miocic last weekend.
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Browne’s star hasn’t risen sooner due to the inconsistency of his performances. He usually follows spectacular wins with shaky decisions, as shown when he KO’d James McSweeney only to draw with Cheick Kongo in his next bout.
The same thing happened after the Struve bout when he won a decision against Rob Broughton in a fight that inspired few, but he is still grinding out victories when off-form which is a useful trait to carry.
Antonio Silva hasn’t won since famously beating Fedor back in February 2011, and is coming in off the back off two defeats albeit against current Strikeforce champ Daniel Cormier and former UFC champ Cain Velasquez.
Both were first round KOs and I wouldn’t be surprised if Browne were to make it an unwanted hattrick of defeats for “Big Foot” as the Hawaiian’s speed and heavy hands could prove too much for the lumbering Brazilian.
Number 1 flyweight contender status at stake
The winner of John Dodson and Jussier da Silva will most likely get a shot at the UFC’s newest champion Demetrious Johnson in the company’s most frenetic division. Da Silva will look to get the fight to the ground but could get stuffed by the bigger Dodson, who will try to keep the fight standing and use his lethal speed to fend off his opponent.
Dodson showcased his strong wrestling skills and sharp, relentless stand-up game on his way to winning TUF series 14 while the Brazilian, who is making his UFC debut, was once regarded as one of the world’s best fighters in this weight class.
This fight is an important step in Dodson’s progression and all his defences will be tested against da Silva. If he can start the fight on the front foot, he should prove too strong for him.
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Elsewhere, Jake Ellenberger wants to get back to the form that put him on a six fight win-streak as he looks to get over his defeat to Martin Kampmann with a win over Jay Hieron.
Josh Neer and Justin Edwards make up the main card which is one fight down after Dennis Hallman missed weight for his scheduled bout with Thiago Tavares twice and he was subsequently cut from the UFC.
