UFC 120: Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne
In mixed martial arts, as in boxing, there are certain fighters who are known as gatekeepers. These are fighters who aren’t quite good enough to make a title run of their own, but are able to beat almost
all other comers and provide a good measuring stick for all other fighters in the division.
In the Ultimate Fighting Championships' heavyweight division, it’s Cheick Kongo who occupies that role. He’s long been a solid presence in the division with an 8-4 record, with wins over lower-calibre fighters
and losses to the top dogs of the division. At UFC 120 on Saturday in London, England, he’ll be putting the skills of a hot prospect and relative UFC newcomer in Travis Browne.
Recent form
Kongo came off of two consecutive losses, to first Cain Velasquez at UFC 99 and then Frank Mir at UFC 107, both upper-echelon fighters. Then, true to his career, he destroyed bottom-rung Paul Buentello in
March, stopping him in the third round with strikes.
Browne on the other hand has never yet tasted defeat. He has torn through all the competition he has faced, with all of his 10 wins and fights coming in a span of 16 months. His first fight in the UFC was
longer than usual for him, as he took a full 4:32 to TKO his opponent James McSweeney, but it was still an impressive performance.
Style
The style for this one should be simple: expect fireworks. The 35-year-old French kickboxer, Kongo, has a very polished striking game. At 6ft 4in he uses his reach well, using nice leg kicks to slow down
his opponents and a very hard jab to batter and bruise them. A more cautious striker than aggressive brawler, he is also willing to use his wrestling to put opponents on their backs, and once on top of them he possesses a brutal ground and pound attack. He's
also liable to break opponents with vicious knees.
Kongo’s main deficiency is his relatively poor grappling skills, but against Browne that might not come into play. Browne’s hands are very heavy, and he likes to use them. Eight of his 10 wins have come by
knockout, and five of those have come within the first minute of his fights, and two within 10 seconds. In other words, if you blink, you might just miss this fight. At 6ft 7in he has a marked height advantage over most opponents, also Kongo actually possesses
a three inch reach advantage.
Betting odds and prediction
The odds give Kongo as a 19/10 favourite while Brown is an 8/5 underdog.
Kongo should be able to take this. He’s dealt with plenty of aggressive strikers before, and has the cardio to last three rounds, while that’s still a question mark with Browne, because he’s only gone to
a decision once. Also Browne’s opponents are unknown, while Kongo has stood in front of the best of the division. Look for Browne to come out strong and try to knock out Kongo early, while Kongo will weather the early storm and increasingly take the edge in
an entertaining stand up war.
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