Fighting a man six-feet-11-inches tall, it took Travis Browne a little while to find his rhythm in the stand-up game at UFC 130 on Saturday night. But find it he did.
As Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve looked to launch a knee at him, Browne timed his counter right hand, launching into Struve at just the right moment, laying him out cold.
It was a wonderful victory for Browne, but in more ways than one. Browne wanted to and did dedicate his victory to one of his best friends’ dad. When Browne fell on hard times, his buddy’s family took him in, unofficially adopting him. It obviously had a tremendous impact on Browne, who was near tears again as he recounted the story at the UFC 130 postfight press conference.
His friend’s father has been struggling with a condition called neuropathy, which leaves him in a constant state of pain. Browne can’t stop the pain, but being able to dedicate his victory to a man that has helped him so much, obviously meant a lot to him.