In the co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen, Alistair Overeem (36-12(1) MMA; 1-1 UFC) faces Travis Browne (14-1-1 MMA; 5-1-1 UFC) in a Heavyweight fight. The official UFC rankings have Reem as the #5 contender at Heavyweight with Browne a few spots below at #8. UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen airs live on Fox Sports 1 this Saturday, August 17, with the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
This is just two big Heavyweights throwing leather. Both Overeem and Browne are big strikers who have shown off serious KO ability in their MMA careers. Both are also just a bit outside of title contention. A win here is an absolute must, as the loser will fall down the ladder and have to start that climb back up again. For the winner? Potentially just 1-2 more fights before a shot at the UFC Heavyweight crown.
How do these two stack up?
Overeem: 33 years old | 6'4" | 80" reach
Browne: 31 years old | 6'7" | 80" reach
What have these two done recently?
Overeem: L - Antonio Silva (KO) | W - Brock Lesnar (KO) | W - Fabricio Werdum (UD)
Browne: W - Gabriel Gonzaga (KO) | L - Antonio Silva (KO) | W - Chad Griggs (Sub)
How did these two get here?
Alistair Overeem came to the UFC in late 2011 with a huge presence. The former Strikeforce, Dream, K-1 champion was considered one of the best Heavyweights in the world, and his debut destruction (and retirement) of Brock Lesnar only cemented that. But his subsequent PED troubles and KO loss to Bigfoot Silva really cooled his momentum down. Now, the man many thought we be the UFC champion by now is struggling to stay in the title hunt. Look for him to use his hands and knees to try and find the big KO here.
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Travis Browne made his UFC debut in 2010 and was immediately heavily hyped by no less than Dana White himself. So far, he has not fully lived up to those high expectations. He's undefeated in all but one fight (against Bigfoot Silva last year), but has yet to defeat a real high profile opponent. A win over Reem would be the high point of Browne's career to date, and would make him a true contender at last.
Why should you care?
Like I said, two big men throwing bombs. What's not to love?
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