Fans of the sports and television analysts routinely apply “MMA math” when stating their case for why they believe a certain fighter will defeat his or her opponent. It’s a common practice, but it’s flawed.
Heavyweight contender Travis Browne faces former champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 200. The two have recently faced a common opponent, current titleholder Fabricio Werdum.
Werdum defeated Velasquez at UFC 188 to capture the heavyweight crown. He submitted the former champion in the third round via rear-naked choke.
Browne took on Werdum in the UFC on FOX 11 main event in April 2014. He took Werdum the distance, losing by unanimous decision.
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Using “MMA math,” Browne should beat Velasquez because he went the distance against Werdum, while Velasquez was finished in the third round.
During a UFC 200 media scrum on Tuesday, Browne explained why “MMA math” has more holes than Pebble Beach Golf Links.
“Werdum is a way different fight than Cain is. I’m a different fighter than Cain is. Werdum, we possess different skill sets,” explained the 33-year-old. “As far as me having an advantage based off our fights with Werdum, I don’t think you can make that correlation. We’re just two different style fighters.”
To tell the truth, we’ll all have to until they step in the Octagon together at UFC 200 before we know who is going to win between Browne and Velasquez.
