UFC 181 results recap: Travis Browne vs Brendan Schaub fight review and analysis

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight veterans Travis Browne and Brendan Schaub went to war last night (Dec. 6, 2014) inside Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After blasting a hole through three straight opponents, Browne ran into interim champion Fabricio Werdum. Browne got blasted for the majority of 25 minutes, sending him back to the line. Since then, Browne began training under Edmond Tarderdyan, which sparked up some conflict with his opponent.

Going on a two-fight losing streak is bad enough. It gets worse when there's plenty of trash talk surrounding the bout, leaving Schaub with a serious desire to earn the victory.

It still wasn't enough.

Schaub was clearly a bit worried about Browne's power, as "Hapa" was clearly the much larger fighter. He circled the cage, and as Schaub looked to bounce in and out with punches, Browne looked to land his power punches and front kick. Neither man landed very much, but Browne controlled the flow of the stand up.

Then, Schaub landed a nice double leg takedown, which he definitely had to work for. Though Browne never let him establish position, it seemed to be a positive sign for Schaub.

However, the tides quickly turned. As Schaub ducked into an overhand, Browne countered with a hard uppercut, which sent Schaub to the mat. Browne quickly moved into mount and landed heavy shots, but Schaub was able to defend.

At least initially.

Despite Schaub's attempts to recover guard, Browne continued to pass and achieve the mount. He eventually flattened Schaub out from the back mount and secured a stoppage. He wasn't landing devastating strikes, but Mario Yamasaki had seen enough.

I personally am not a fan of the stoppage because Schaub was still attempting to move.

Regardless, Browne looked very good. His stand up -- though still a bit choppy at times -- was much more sound. In particular, Browne's ability to control the range was greatly improved. After his disappointing loss to Werdum, Browne needed this violent return.

On the ground, Browne's top game was very impressive. Schaub is one of the better heavyweight grapplers, but he had very little for "Hapa" on the mat. Of course, the fact that Schaub was half-conscious likely helped.

At this point, a match up with fellow Top 10-ranked Heavyweight Andre Arlovski would be an excellent next match.

Schaub is simply too predictable. He has a dangerous overhand and strong double and ... that's it. Browne was clearly prepared for both, as his coaches screamed uppercut since the very beginning of the fight.

If Schaub wants to find success against the top end of the division, he really needs to mix up his attack and develop new tools. He simply cannot rely on his athleticism forever.

At UFC 181, Travis Browne dominated Brendan Schaub and finished him with strikes. Can Browne make his way to the championship belt?

For complete UFC 181 "Hendricks vs Lawler" results and play-by-play click HERE.