Andrei Arlovski defeated Travis Browne in a wild heavyweight contest at UFC 187.
These two went to war in a slugfest—one that Arlovski got the better of.
What the hell is happening!!?????
— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) May 24, 2015
Unbelievable! One of the most electric heavyweight rounds you will see. #Arlovski #UFC187
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) May 24, 2015
Arlovski and Browne earned bonus checks with that performance. They threw down and got the crowd on their feet. After Arlovski stunned Browne early in the first round, it was all uphill from there. Arlovski went after the finish, but Browne's chin held up.
Shot after shot, and suddenly Browne tagged Arlovski. Then he rebounded to knock out Browne in Round 1. It is exhausting just typing the action that these top-10 heavyweights brought. This is what we learned from this extraordinary bout.
What We'll Remember About This Fight
ROUND OF THE YEAR!!!! #UFC187
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 24, 2015
That round. Wow! Chaos. Beautiful chaos.
Arlovski stuns and staggers Browne multiple times, only to be dropped by Browne. Arlovski gets back up and puts it to Browne again! It was crazy. The referee stepped in to save Browne, but these two most certainly earned Fight of the Night.
It was remarkable.
What We Learned About Travis Browne
He is not a legitimate title threat.
Browne is big. He should have been able to stick Arlovski on the outside. Instead, his style allowed The Pit Bull to easily come over the top to catch him. Browne has the raw ability to be a threat, but he has not put it together.
The elite of this division are a mountain in front of Browne—a mountain he cannot climb at this time. There are still plenty of entertaining fights for Browne and plenty of time for him to start to put the pieces of the puzzle in place.
What We Learned About Andrei Arlovski
He still has it.
It is 2015 and Andrei Arlovski is on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC. #UFC187
— Steven Rondina (@srondina) May 24, 2015
The former UFC heavyweight champion was counted out not too long ago. He was left for dead as just another relic on the downside of his career. Suddenly, look who is back in contention for a title shot.
He has even started to settle concerns about his chin. He has eaten some heavy shots and not gone out. In this one, he absorbed a tough shot and quickly got back up to finish the fight. He is a contender. The UFC has another old-timer doing work.
What's Next for Browne
It has to be another top-10 fight, and the only man who makes sense is Mark Hunt. The UFC would be best-served by finding a slow, unranked heavyweight for Browne, but that's not the position he is in.
Hunt is coming off a loss, and a fight with Browne would be a great affair. It could be a good co-main event for the future UFC Japan card later this year. Hunt has a big following in Japan, and it is a good way to get him on the card.
What's Next for Arlovski
Arlovski got his third straight win in the UFC and his fifth overall. That is enough to earn a title shot.
How do you not give Arlovski the title shot now? I'll answer that. You give it to him.
— Scott Harris (@ScottHarrisMMA) May 24, 2015
Sure, Stipe Miocic beat down Mark Hunt and is ranked higher, but Arlovski is on a better streak. And after his UFC 187 performance, who doesn't want another redemption story with Arlovski getting a title shot?
Miocic is not even on a winning streak. A singular win over Hunt shouldn't be enough to earn a title shot. What Arlovski has done—he last lost to Anthony Johnson in March 2013—is phenomenal. He earned a title shot if he is healthy enough.
Give him the winner of the UFC 188 title unification bout between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum.
