Preview: UFC 181 ‘Hendricks vs. Lawler 2’

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HEAVYWEIGHTS

Travis Browne (16-2-1, 7-2-1 UFC) vs. Brendan Schaub (10-4, 6-4 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: Two heavyweights looking to cement a spot in the top 10 clash in an intriguing battle. Browne had strung together three fantastic wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett before getting shellacked by Fabricio Werdum in April. Schaub, meanwhile, was robbed of a victory over Andrei Arlovski in June in one of the worst fights of the year, but prior to that, he had won two in a row. In the thin heavyweight division, neither fighter is more than two convincing wins away from a crack at the crown.

Browne’s game is predicated almost entirely on his athleticism. For such a big man, the 6-foot-7 Hawaiian is extraordinarily light on his feet, and he packs enormous power in his punches and kicks despite unrefined mechanics and seemingly random strike selection. Over his last several fights, we have seen some of his best work, from rangy, diverse kicks and an improved jab to straighter punches and sterling defensive wrestling accompanied by a gift for delivering sharp elbows against the cage while defending takedowns. He has two substantial problems, though, namely his suspect defense and inability to produce a significant volume of offense. Werdum absolutely took him apart by exploiting those defensive holes at striking range and overwhelming him with work rate, and they are issues Browne needs to fix to stay competitive.

Coming off the 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Schaub looked like one of the future stars of the heavyweight division. An outstanding athlete with crisp boxing skills and solid wrestling, it turned out that Schaub lacked the durability -- he has been knocked out three times in the UFC -- to make that game work against the division’s upper crust. To his credit, he has changed his approach to account for that, building on his explosive double-leg with a heavy top game. He strikes well, has a decent arsenal of passes and can work the occasional submission if his opponents get sloppy. On the feet, Schaub can string together solid combinations and owns an excellent straight right, but his lack of head movement after he throws makes him intensely vulnerable to counters and exacerbates his inability to take a shot.

BETTING ODDS: Browne (-300), Schaub (+250)

THE PICK: It is hard to tell how a fighter coming off a beating like the one Browne received last time out will respond, but it is not like Schaub dominated Arlovski, either. While I think Schaub probably has a better shot than the betting lines indicate, his historical defensive liabilities on the feet and Browne’s outstanding takedown defense mean that the big Hawaiian will probably catch him with something. Browne by knockout in the second round is the pick.

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