After dealing with injuries that limited him to just five fights since 2012, the old Cain Velasquez showed up in the UFC 200 main card opener on Saturday, as the former two-time heavyweight champion blasted through Travis Browne in a single round at T-Mobile Arena.
Browne’s first right hand was on target, immediately getting the attention of Velasquez, who nonetheless kept charging in. A minute in, Velasquez was able to close the distance and bull Browne into the fence, but he couldn’t get him to the mat. That didn’t stop the Californian, who kept setting a fast pace, even landing a spinning kick before dropping Browne to the mat midway through the round and opening fire with right hands. Browne struggled to his feet with a minute left, and while he kept throwing hard shots to try and keep Velasquez off him, the former world champ wasn’t going anywhere, and as the bout went back to the mat in the closing seconds, Velasquez finished Browne with ground strikes, referee John McCarthy stepping in at 4:57 of round one.
With the win, San Jose’s Velasquez improves to 14-2; San Diego’s Browne falls to 18-4-1.
More from UFC 200: Results | Postfight bonuses | Best pictures from UFC 200 | #AndNew! Nunes wins title against Tate | Lesnar victorious in return to Octagon | Cormier smothers Silva to claim victory | Aldo tops Edgar to claim interim title | Velasquez drops Browne in 1st Round | Pena, Gastelum, Dillashaw go distance for wins | UFC 200 starts with three quick TKO's | Watch: Dana White event recap | Postfight press conference highlights, Brock Lesnar press conference highlights | Backstage interviews: Amanda Nunes, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Cormier, Jose Aldo, Cain Velasquez, Julianna Pena, Kelvin Gastelum, Johny Hendricks, TJ Dillashaw, Sage Northcutt | Octagon interviews: Amanda Nunes and Miesha Tate, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Cormier and Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Joe Lauzon | Celebrity interviews: DeMarcus Cousins | Watch the UFC FIGHT PASS prelims on-demand! | Order UFC 200 replay now!
