That explains a lot.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight contender Travis Browne went from hero to zero in his 265-pound battle against Fabricio Werdum in the main event of UFC on FOX 11, which took place last Saturday night (April 19, 2014) inside the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
You can thank "Vai Cavalo" for that.
After a strong showing in round one -- reminiscent of the beatings he's handed out in previous fights -- "Hapa" was zombified for the final four frames, unable to catch his breath and taking an inordinate amount of punishment. But did we see the best possible Browne, or a busted up shell of the bearded brawler?
UFC President Dana White wonders aloud at the UFC on FOX 11 post-fight press conference (via MMA Fighting):
"My question was, how did Travis gas out two-and-a-half minutes into the first round? And they think he has a broken rib, they think he broke his rib in the first round. That would explain it. He definitely has a broken hand."
The "Hapa" camp has yet to release a statement on the extent of his injuries.
If he did break a rib, it likely came from one of the many body kicks the Brazilian uncorked early in the fight. As for the hand? Those kinds of things happen when you punch another man in the skull. White poo-pooed on Werdum for "playing it safe" to preserve his title shot, which could be a bit unfair.
You saw what happened the last time someone tried to finish the Hawaiian.
For more on UFC on FOX 11, including results, recaps, videos, play-by-play and more, check out our live "Werdum vs. Browne" story stream by clicking here.