UFC Fight Night 26: Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne are set to meet this Saturday at the inaugural UFC on Fox Sports 1 fight card. The matchup is between the No. 5-ranked and No. 8-ranked heavyweight respectively.

The winner will move in to title contention, and that is a big reason why this fight is the co-main event of the evening.

Travis Browne rebounded from his only professional loss, to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, with an impressive KO over Gabriel Gonzaga at The Ultimate Fighter 17 finale. The win moved his record to 14-1-1, and garnered him the Knockout of the Night bonus.

Overeem will be returning to action for the first time since his loss to Silva at UFC 156. This is his chance to lay claim to a title shot with an impressive win.

With a lot riding on this fight, each man will look to throw heavy leather in order to win by KO. Here is your breakdown of the big heavyweight showdown.

Striking

Too much stock is put in to Overeem's K-1 record, but regardless the edge has to go to him.

Browne is no slouch on the feet, and he continues to develop at Jackson's MMA. As one of the most athletic heavyweights in the sport, he poses a lot of problems for fighters on the feet.

Overeem simply has more experience on the feet, and when he is on point he can be devastating. His shots are high-powered.

Defensively, both men leave a lot to be desired. If either man connects cleanly the other is going to go down.

Edge: Overeem

Grappling

This category is very even, and neither man wants to go to the ground too often.

Overeem is strong in the clinch, and he has shown quality takedown defense in the past. However, tossing Browne aside will be a bit more difficult than some of the other heavyweights.

Both train at good camps with quality grapplers, but Browne has more upside here. Overeem is leveling off at his talent level, but Browne is only getting better and better. That is dangerous for the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion.

This can go either way, but I'll give a slight edge to Browne because of his camp.

Edge: Browne

Submissions

If there is one underrated portion of Overeem's game, it is his submission acumen. Thanks to his K-1 record, and love of striking in general, it is often overlooked.

Browne has a solid submission game to his credit, but Overeem's guillotine choke is the best submission weapon in this fight.

The guillotine has caught Vitor Belfort, Igor Vovchanchyn and six others. For all the talk of his knockout capabilities, Overeem has four more submission credits to his name than KO's. All in all, 19 of his 36 career victories have come via submission.

It will be a bit more difficult to lock up a choke on the 6'7" Browne, but Overeem has the tools to do it.

Edge: Overeem

X-Factors

Browne's X-Factor: The Clinch

The clinch could be where this fight is decided, and Browne needs to gain some control in this position. He cannot allow Overeem to keep his back against the fence and utilize his knees to wear him down.

Browne has to get underhooks, reverse position and be offensive as well. He cannot allow Overeem to win the fight here.

It will also be beneficial if he can find a way to take Overeem down too, but that is not to be expected.

Overeem's X-Factor: Pace

Overeem's cardio has come in to question in the past, and Browne can fight at a strong pace for a heavyweight. Overeem needs to control the pace of the fight.

If Overeem can dictate the pace he will not be in danger of gassing out. It will also help him set up his strikes much more effectively. If he is giving time and space to work, he could pick up a bonus check for leveling Browne.

Prediction

These two heavyweights strike hard. Very hard.

It may be a question of who connects first, and I am going to favor Browne.

The up-and-coming heavyweight can hang with Overeem on the feet due to his athleticism. His movement will create an issue for Overeem, and then he will catch the former champion.

Overeem's chin has been a question in the past. Browne will test it. Overeem's attempt to climb the ladder and become the UFC heavyweight champion will end on Saturday. A TKO loss will be the death knell for his title aspirations.

Prediction: Browne defeats Overeem by TKO in the first round