Top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Travis Browne is slowly-but-surely creeping his way back into the 265-pound title chase, after grounding and pounding Brendan Schaub at the UFC 181 pay-per-view (PPV) event last month in Las Vegas, Nevada.
So ... what's next?
"Hapa" would love nothing more than to fill in for Cain Velasquez or Fabricio Werdum, should either champion be unable to compete this spring. But assuming both combatants are able to stay healthy, Browne is not opposed to leaving his mark in a showdown against Junior dos Santos.
From his conversation with MMA Fighting:
"Man, if one of those heavyweights fell out of the fight tonight, I would be trying to find a cup, ready to go. The timeline is right here, right now. I took one week off and was right back in the gym. [Dos Santos is] ranked number two, I'm ranked number three. Yeah, it definitely makes sense. But again, it's up to the promotion. How's Junior feeling after his last fight? I'm ready to go."
Fun fight.
Unfortunately, it could be awhile before we see "Cigano" back inside the cage, based on these comments by UFC President Dana White, after the hard-hitting Brazilian went full zombie against Stipe Miocic a few weeks back in Phoenix, Arizona.
That doesn't leave many options.
Miocic is ranked No. 4, but coming off a loss, and outside of Andrei Arlovski, there aren't many available heavyweights who aren't already booked, or who have already gone toe-to-toe with the Hawaiian. Sounds like UFC matchmakers have their work cut out for them.
Any suggestions?