For UFC 187's Travis Browne, Andrei Arlovski matchup 'not the most ideal fight'

Travis Browne

For UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, the circumstances surrounding his 12th booking in the promotion’s octagon weren’t particularly unusual. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva called to inform him he would be fighting on May 23. He said yes, as he always does.

What he said yes to, though, was extraordinary. For the first time in his career, he would be fighting someone he considered a friend. Silva and the UFC wanted a bout with Andrei Arlovski, a former UFC champ on the comeback trial, on the pay-per-view main card of Saturday’s UFC 187 event.

“(Arlovski) lived in my house for six months,” Browne told MMAjunkie one week before his trip to Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. “We’re pretty close.”

In a different context, Browne (17-2-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) and Arlovski (23-10 MMA, 12-4 UFC) have already traded punches. The two shared the mats for more than a year at the famed Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA camp in Albuquerque, N.M., where they went three hard rounds on the regular.

But that wasn’t the extent of their relationship, Browne said. They hung out. They bonded over their love of dogs; Arlovski’s pitbull, Maximus, and Browne’s French bulldog, Nacho, played together. Not exactly a bromance, maybe, but as close to it as you get in the hurt business.

“We talk outside camp and the gym,” Browne said. “As far as other UFC fighters, I would say he’s probably guy I’m closest with.”

Even after Browne moved on from the gym, linking up with Edmund Tarverdyan in Los Angeles, the two stayed in touch. When Browne sold his Albuquerque house, he shipped Arlovski some belongings left behind.

“The Pitbull” was a good roommate, Browne remembers.

“Easy to get along with,” he said. “I think that’s why me and him are friends, because we’re easy going.”

When Browne heard he would be fighting Arlovski, he sent his friend a text: “Love you buddy. I’ll see you on the 23rd.”

Andrei Arlovski

Arlvoski’s reply: “I’ll see you then.”

There hasn’t been much communication since.

“It’s obviously not the most ideal fight, because we’re friends,” Browne said. “It was not necessarily the first fight I would take, but we both understand that it’s business, and we understand why we’re doing it. It’s just what happens in this sport.”

After all, Browne and Arlovski are chasing the same dream of wearing UFC gold. Arlovski, who’s ranked No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, is working his way back to the title after a precipitous slide, and No. 4-ranked Browne is fighting for a chance to win one after stumbling in a title contender. Arlovski was once considered the face of the UFC’s heavyweight division, while Browne was the future of it. After falling short in a title eliminator, Browne got back in the win column this past December with a TKO win over Brendan Schaub.

Before a knockout of Antonio Silva this past September, Arlovski’s comeback was teetering on the edge of legitimacy. A lackluster return to the UFC after a six-year absence did little to convince the MMA faithful that he was still a potential contender. Questions about his relevency remain.

Browne, though, still thinks of Arlovski as a champ.

“I feel honored to fight a guy like Andrei,” he said. “He’s a great fighter; he’s a legend in the sport, and it’s definitely somebody for me to put my skills against.”

Still, Browne anticipates a night unlike others when Saturday arrives. It’s going to be a little surreal punching and kicking Arlovski at full force, but it’s what needs to happen. In this context, the consequences matter much more than friendship. They stand at odds and must step other the other to succeed.

“It’s almost like you have to detach yourself from the relationship,” Browne said.

And so, Browne is doing his best to put that history behind him. It’s time to go do his job.

For more on UFC 187, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.