Travis "Hapa" Browne took care of Brendan "Big Brown" Schaub at UFC 181 Saturday evening, and it didn't even look difficult for him.
After a feeling-out process early, Browne uncorked a right uppercut as Schaub lunged forward, catching his foe on the chin and sending the fighter hurtling to the canvas.
From there, Browne continued to land shots, scoring with heavy ground-and-pound before eventually securing mount and, later, back mount. Once in that position, Schaub had no answers, and referee Mario Yamasaki mercifully called the fight off with just seconds left in Round 1.
Browne's ground-and-pound was too much, and Schaub could not escape or intelligently defend himself.
What We'll Remember About This Fight
Browne's uppercut was the most significant strike of the fight, but his control of Schaub on the ground was more impressive.
Schaub could not move or prevent Browne from doing exactly what he wanted on the canvas, and Browne easily advanced positions one by one until he had Schaub flattened out on his face.
#UFC181 facts: @travisbrowneMMA ties Arlovski, Nelson, and Velasquez for most first round knockouts in UFC heavyweight history with six.
— #UFC181 (@ufc) December 7, 2014
Never thought to be a ground expert by any stretch, Browne showcased his developing skill set at UFC 181, and the results were impressive.
What We Learned About Browne
Browne is a student of the game, and he's still getting better.
His ground game looked solid, and he tooled the Ryron Gracie-trained Schaub in this fight. After a big shot (something we've seen plenty of from Browne in the past), Browne relied on steady positional advancements and vicious ground-and-pound to seal the deal.
It didn't even look difficult for him, and I'm still not sure it was. This was a blowout.
What We Learned About Schaub
Coming into this fight, Schaub was unranked in the UFC's heavyweight division, yet he earned a fight with the No. 3 Browne.
Why?
Potential.
Schaub's ground game is ever-evolving (or so we thought), his hands are powerful, and his athleticism is bonkers for a man of his size. He looked and talked the part of a UFC heavyweight superstar, yet we just never really saw it.
Nothing changed at UFC 181. Schaub is gonna Schaub, and he got clipped early and put away in short order.
Unfortunately, his potential remains unfulfilled, and at this point, I think it's time to question whether the hype was ever warranted at all.
At 6-5 as a UFC heavyweight, it's becoming clear that the numbers don't lie: Schaub is just average.
What's Next for Browne?
Browne was already ranked third in the division, so there's not much higher he can climb before he reaches gold.
However, No. 2-ranked Junior dos Santos fights No. 4-ranked Stipe Miocic Dec. 13 at UFC on Fox 13, and the winner of that bout would make a fine opponent for Hapa in a No. 1 contender's bout.
The UFC is currently targeting a June 2015 showdown between heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and interim champion Fabricio Werdum, so the winner of Browne vs. Dos Santos/Miocic could realistically take on the winner of Velasquez vs. Werdum later in 2015.
That sounds good to me.
What's Next for Schaub?
Schaub needs to head home, think about his career and decide where he wants to go from here.
Is the goal to claim UFC gold? Is the goal to continue fighting for a few years, make some money and retire peacefully?
Does he want to spend more time on his podcast, The Fighter and the Kid?
Whichever he decides, Schaub first needs to focus and dedicate himself and then make his return to the Octagon.
When he does, Jared Rosholt or Walt Harris would make a nice opponent.
