For UFC heavyweights Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne, the stakes could not be any higher: Win on Saturday night and fight for a UFC title.
The two meet in the main event of UFC on FOX 11, which takes place at Amway Center in Orlando (8 p.m. ET).
UFC President Dana White has promised the winner of the five-round bout will face current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez later this year, and both Werdum (17-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Browne (16-1-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) believe they’re the right man for the job.
“I’m very happy to have the chance to show that I’m worthy of this title,” Werdum said Thursday at a pre-event news conference held at Shaquille O’Neal’s mansion in Windermere. “I’m very, very happy to be here, and I’m going to do it.”
For Werdum, the fight is a bit of a risk. The Brazilian submission master was promised a shot at the title following a June 2013 win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. But champion Velasquez is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, and Werdum elected to stay busy rather than sit out for what could have been more than a full year while waiting for a shot at the belt.
“I want to fight at least three times a year,” Werdum said. “It was a hard decision in the beginning to take this fight, but I realized I had to keep on fighting. I’m always motivated and always training hard, so I took the fight.”
Meanwhile, Browne – a towering 6-7 Hawaiian and former collegiate basketball player – has taken a quick ride to the top of the UFC’s heavyweight division. Following a TKO loss to Antonio Silva in 2012, Browne had a banner 2013, picking up knockout wins over Josh Barnett, Alistair Overeem and Gabriel Gonzaga.
Now he finds himself in unquestionably the biggest fight of his career, but “Hapa” believes the opportunity is just the beginning of what’s to come.
“A chance to fight for a title is kind of what we’re all in it for, but I’m not going to sell myself short,” Browne said. “This is part of my journey, but I expect more of myself than to just fight for a title. I look at fighting for the title. I look at taking the title. I look at defending the title.
“My goal is to leave a legacy in this sport. This is another fight on my road to my legacy.”
At 36, this may be Werdum’s last chance for UFC gold. At 31, Browne has a bit more time on his side, but he appears to be hitting his prime, as witnessed by his three consecutive “Knockout of the Night” performances. With a November date in Mexico against Velasquez looming, one of the two will emerge from Saturday’s event as a clear No. 1 contender.
“I’m really excited for this card,” White said. “This is going to be a fun card.”