UFC 130: Travis Browne: "I Feel That I Can Hold That Belt in a Couple Years"

Although Travis Browne has only been competing as a professional mixed martial artist since early 2009, the former college basketball player has proven to be a quick study.

After notching nine wins in his first nine outings—including a victory over former NFL wide receiver Michael Westbrook—Browne was given the opportunity to compete inside the UFC’s Octagon in June of 2010.

Following his first round victory over James McSweeney at "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale", Browne, in a step-up in competition, fought Cheick Kongo to a unanimous draw at UFC 120 in London, England.

Currently, Browne, a 6’7”, 250 pound heavyweight, is slated to compete against Stefan Struve, a 6’11”, 250 pound heavyweight, this Saturday at UFC 130 in Las Vegas, Nevada—in one of the “biggest” matches of all time.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Travis Browne about his first impressions of the sport, his first bout in the UFC, and, of course, his upcoming bout against Struve this weekend.

Were you involved in any martial arts growing up?

I wasn’t. I played team sports more than anything; I played basketball, football—that kind of thing.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Basketball was a big thing for me, so I always wanted to play in the NBA or do something like that. I think, more than anything, I just knew that I wanted to be an athlete over anything else.

How far did you go in basketball?

I played a couple years in college and it, kind of, fizzled out. I had to provide for my family, so I went and got a job instead.

Do you think, had you continued, you could’ve been in the NBA?

I think I would’ve had a decent shot. I had opportunities to go overseas and play in some of the semi-pro leagues out in Germany and Spain, but I had a family to take care of. It was a tough position, but I think that’s what ultimately led me to the UFC.

What inspired you to try your hand at mixed martial arts?

I started doing Jiu-Jitsu four years ago. Jiu-Jitsu is like the gateway drug to MMA; you start doing Jiu-Jitsu and eventually you’re going to try your hand at mixed martial arts. That’s how it started. One day, there was a guy who didn’t have a sparring partner and they asked me to spar with him while he was getting ready for a fight. I jumped in and was good to go.

What were your first impressions of the sport?

It was a tough sport, but it was definitely something that I was capable of doing. I got really excited and started looking more into it and started working on my game. Here I am.

Were you passionate about it right from the start?

I was, yeah. It’s hard for me to do a lot of different things, so when I do something, I focus on it and it becomes my passion. When I started doing MMA, that was my new thing; I have to do it and I have to give my best effort to it and go from there.

What do you think made you gravitate towards the sport?

I remember watching Tim Sylvia knock out Ricco Rodriguez and thinking, “Dude, I could beat that guy; I could beat big ol’ Timmy.” I just got excited watching that and watching the first "Ultimate Fighter". Guys from my generation—who are my age—really gravitate towards that sport; that’s how it caught my eye at first. Then I started doing Jiu-Jitsu and it just took off from there.

Did you think, in the beginning, that this was something that you would be able to make a career out of?

That was the goal. I had only sparred a couple times and I was around good guys—a couple of them were in the UFC—and I started training with them and talked to their coaches and their management. They said that I’ve got a shot to do something with this and I said, “If I’ve got a shot, then I’m all in.” It just built up from there and from the beginning I’ve had aspirations of being in the UFC.

What does being in the UFC mean to you?

It means everything. I’ve accomplished another goal in my life—to get to the UFC—and now I have more goals; keep winning and progressing in the sport, stay competitive, and eventually get a shot at that belt.

How did you come into contact with the UFC?

My last manager did. He’s managed Roger Huerta, Eddie Sanchez, Diego Sanchez and he put in [the UFC’s] ear that he’s got an up-and-coming heavyweight and if I have some time to develop, I’ll be a contender. We took a year—I fought eight or nine times—and it was on to the UFC.

Were you surprised at how soon the offer came from the UFC?

Yes and no; part of me knew that it would come quick. I’ve always been able to excel in athletics—in any sport that I try—and after a year of training, I knew that I was good enough to hang in there with them. At the same time, something like that changes your life, so I was definitely surprised.

Was there any hesitation on your behalf to sign the contract?

No.

None?

None—none whatsoever. When the UFC says, “Hey, we want you,” what do you say? “Uh, no—I think I’m going to take a bit more time.” No—I knew that there were guys that I could beat. My first couple fights have been great and I’m looking forward to my fight on Saturday.

Did you have a “welcome to the UFC moment”?

Yeah, when I was walking out for my first fight. Walking out to the cage, you’re like, “Holy crap. This is it.” I’d usually be at home watching and it was a really exciting moment.

Was it, at all, overwhelming?

I wouldn’t say overwhelming. Like I said, I get excited about that kind of stuff, but I don’t let anything overwhelm me too much; I make sure my emotions don’t get the best of me. It was quite the experience.

How did you feel when you learned that you would be fighting Cheik?

I was really excited. I’ve been a fan of his—I still am a fan of his—fighting and watching him knock people out. To get a chance to fight somebody that you watch on TV is a little intimidating at first, but you have to get over those butterflies and fight.

How do you feel about your performance?

I’m obviously not happy with it. I did a few things that really messed up my game plan; one of them being trying to swing for the fences the whole first round and I was holding my breath the whole first round and I just, kind of, gassed out. It was a learning experience, for sure. I’m glad that I got through it with a draw and not a loss. It’s something that I’ve learned from.

What did you take away from your fight?

I need to have more of skill-set than trying to overpower my opponents. Being bigger and stronger doesn’t mean that you’re always going to be the winner; you have to have a good skill-set and use it properly.

Would you change anything if you could go back?

No. I’ve learned a lot from that fight. I learned more from that fight than I would have if I came out and knocked him out in the first round. I’m a different fighter for it and, again, I’m looking forward to another good fight with Stefan Struve.

How are you feeling going into your fight this weekend?

I’m feeling good. Like I said, I’ve had my toughest camp so far; I’m in good shape, I’m weighing in at around 250 or 252. I’m in way better shape than I was for the Kongo fight and I’ll be ready to go.

How much better do you feel you are now than when we last saw you?

Quite a bit better. The last seven months that I’ve been training, five of them were just learning; just breaking down everything that I knew and starting from scratch, getting a new found sense of fighting. I’m definitely a different fighter.

What problems do you feel Stefan poses to you?

The guy just never dies, you know? He’s always moving forward; he reminds of “The Korean Zombie”—he’ll get hit and he just keeps on coming forward or trying to take you down, he never stops moving. He’s always dangerous; if you think you’ve got him knocked out, he’ll knock you out or submit you. He’s a really tough guy; the biggest thing that he has going for him is his heart. He’s definitely got a good ground game and he’s got good stand-up, as well. I look forward to the challenge.

What do you think Stefan’s game plan is going to be this weekend?

I think, ultimately, he wants to get it to the ground. I don’t think he wants to stand there and trade punches with me, but who knows? He might come out there and try to stand with me, so I’m ready for anything.

Do you think Stefan offers you anything that you haven’t seen before?

Yeah, I’ve never seen a 6’11” fighter standing in front of me. His height, his reach, his length are all new to me. Even when he fought Sean McCorkle, it was easy the way that he swept him—because of how long he is. He definitely poses threats with his length.

How much of an advantage does Stefan have because of his size?

I think it’s a blessing and a curse. I don’t think he’s really grown into his body yet; he’s still a really young guy with a lot of growing left to do. He keeps putting on weight every fight, so I don’t think he’s grown into his body yet. Once he uses his length and his reach and his size, then I think he’ll become really dangerous with it.

Do you feel that your size gives you an advantage over your opponents?

Yeah, I think so. I think part of it is the fact that they’re fighting someone who’s 6’7”—just a big guy in general. Being that big and having long legs and arms—being able to set things up with that—is different for some people.

Do you have a prediction for how it’s going to end?

I’m ready for a three-round war; going to the end, pushing the pace, and hopefully we get Fight of the Night. I’m not worried about Knockout of the Night or Submission of the Night—I want to get Fight of the Night.

What would a Fight of the Night performance mean to you?

It would mean everything. At the end of the day, we’re fighters, but we’re also entertainers—that’s part of our job. To get a Fight of the Night award means that you’re a fighter that’s worth watching and you are capable of putting on good fights—people want to pay to watch you fight because you’re an entertaining fighter. I’d definitely love to get Fight of the Night.

At the end of the day, is it more important to win or put on a good show?

I think you have to balance out the two, but if you’re going to make me choose one than it’s definitely to win. I try to do everything I can to make it as exciting as I can. I don’t want to be one of those guys that keeps on winning, but is hated by everyone [laughs].

Assuming you win, where do you see yourself in the UFC’s heavyweight division?

After I win, I think I’ll be in the top 15 of the heavyweight division. I think Stefan is getting close to that and after we fight and I win, I can see myself in the top 15. A couple fights after that, I’ll be in the top 10.

What do you feel you can accomplish in this sport?

I feel that I can be the champ; I feel that I can hold that belt in a couple years and I think I have a good shot at doing that.

What would a UFC championship mean to you?

Everything—that’s why we fight; to get that belt and prove to everyone that there is a reason people believed in us. It would mean all of the hard-work that I’ve done and sacrifices that I’ve made have meant something.

Have you thought about how much longer you’d like to compete?

As long as my body will let me. I’m pretty healthy right now, so I don’t see any end in sight, as of yet. I have a long time, still.

Have you thought about what you might like to do when you’re done fighting?

At this point, I’m more or less just focused on fighting and staying competitive in the sport. Being so young in the sport—being so young in the UFC—that needs to be my main-focus. Once I get more established, then maybe I can start venturing off into other things, but, as of right now, I’m more or less just focused on fighting.

What do you feel the future holds for you?

I’m going to win on Saturday and eventually I’m going to get that belt.

Is there anything that you’d like to say to your fans while you have this opportunity?

Keep watching, keep believing, and get ready for Saturday; there are going to be some fireworks and we’re going to make it happen.

How important are the fans to you?

They’re everything; they’re why we’re able to do this. Their support is why we’re able to go out there and do what we do—do what we love to do.

Do you consider yourself a fan of the sport?

Oh, definitely ... I think one of my favourite fighters—someone I really respect the most—is Randy Couture. He’s done so much for this sport and it was always fun watching him fight.

Can you see yourself competing until you’re 47 years old?

Sure. I’m down to give it 20 years. I’ll put in two decades [laughs]—I’d love to.