With all the rumours circulating about the various fights that are in the pipeline for the historic UFC 200, don’t be surprised to see this on the Fight Pass prelims.
We joke of course because the heavyweight clash that is supposedly in the works for 9 July is one with significant implications on the division’s title picture.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and #7 ranked Travis Browne are set to collide on the biggest UFC card of the year.
Ariel Helwani reported the news on UFC Tonight that Velasquez vs. Browne is likely to be the first bout added to UFC 200, which takes place this summer at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It will be the first time since 2012 that Velasquez has not been involved in a title fight, with the former champion having reclaimed the belt against Junior dos Santos at UFC 155 before defending it capably against Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva and dos Santos.
The AKA heavyweight came unstuck, though, against Fabricio Werdum last summer when the Brazilian submitted him in the third round to capture the title.
Velasquez was slated for a rematch with Werdum in February but was forced out of the fight with a back injury for which he has since had successful surgery.
And it is his recurring injuries that have taken him out of the title frame for the time being now that Stipe Miocic has been handed the next crack at Werdum, a bout which headlines UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil.
Browne, meanwhile, has had a rocky few years in the Octagon.
‘Hapa’ has gone 2-2 since 2014, finishing both Brendan Schaub and, most recently, Matt Mitrione but a TKO defeat to Andrei Arlovski and a five-round decision loss to the would-be champion Werdum has limited his momentum.
All it takes is a victory over a massive name like Velasquez, though, to rocket Browne towards a title shot.
We’re liking the sounds of UFC 200 already.
