UFC Fight Night 105: Lewis vs. Browne Date: February 19, 2017 Arena: Scotiabank Centre City: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Heavyweight bout: Derrick Lewis (-110) vs Travis Browne (-110) Fight Breakdown: The main event for UFC Fight Night 105 in Halifax will be a five-round heavyweight tilt between Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis and Travis “Hapa” Browne, with both fighters sitting at -110 ($110 to win $100) coin-flip betting odds at Several Bookmakers. Derrick Lewis (17-4-1 NC MMA, 8-2 UFC) last saw action at UFC Fight Night 102 in Albany two months ago, where he earned a come-from-behind fourth-round TKO win over Shamil Abdurakhimov, marking his fifth straight victory inside the Octagon. He will aim to extend that streak to six against former UFC heavyweight title challenger Browne. Lewis has arguably the most vicious ground-and-pound in all of MMA. In fact, six of his seven T/KO victories inside of the Octagon have come via ground-and-pound stoppage. “The Black Beast” likes to implement kicks into his striking attack, often attempting a variety of them. While powerful on the feet, he does most of his damage in the clinch and on the mat. The Bellator and RFA veteran has solid boxing, and more importantly, he has serious knockout power. Training out of the Silverback Fight Club in Houston, TX, Lewis has been showing great cardio lately, so I expect his conditioning to be in check heading into this 25-minute contest fight, should it go the distance. Travis Browne (18-5-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC) is currently on a two-fight skid and just 2-4 in his last six appearances inside the Octagon, so he arguably has his back against the wall heading into this one. The Hawaiian is a striker who packs knockout power in every limb, and likes to implement them all in his fights. The 34-year-old is a fast athlete who possesses great footwork and movement, though he has not displayed it in recent bouts. His Muay Thai is solid and improving, and he is effective with his counter striking. A purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, “Hapa” is talented on the mat as well. His submission game and grappling are improving under the tutelage of Ricky Lundell. His defensive grappling is very good too, as he does a phenomenal job of defending takedowns. In fact, he owns two UFC wins over opponents (Gabriel Gonzaga and Josh Barnett) via knockout using his elbows during takedown attempts. Browne is a durable fighter with a decent chin and very good conditioning. He will be ready for five rounds of action in this main event contest, if necessary. Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Browne is the superior mixed martial artist of the two heading into this main event matchup. The fight is close on the feet, but I give the edge to Browne there. The grappling is where I give Browne a big edge though, as I think he will be successful in defending Lewis’ takedown attempts while securing his own. I think Lewis’ only chance at winning this fight is by T/KO while I think Browne could defeat Lewis by T/KO, submission or on the judges’ scorecards following five rounds of action should he fail to get “The Black Beast” out of there. With his back against the wall, I see this as being a good spot for “Hapa” to bounce back into the win column. Gabe’s Call: Browne by Submission (modified choke, 3:41 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Browne (-110) All of my content and plays are free. Your support is greatly appreciated. 
