Sherdog’s Top 10: Elbows

7. Travis Browne’s Guide to Takedown Defense

As the game-within-a-game at the heart of MMA continues to evolve, so does the role of the cage in either assisting or hampering wrestlers’ ability to work their takedowns. For a long time, the cage was a massive help for wrestlers, as it took away the defender’s ability to sprawl. Now, however, the cage is generally helpful for the defender, because a wide base and strong underhook game allows them to stuff most takedowns and to wall-walk if taken down.

Few fighters do a better job of using the cage to defend takedowns than the enormous Browne, whose tremendous size and wingspan allows him to keep a wide base and easily maintain his balance. Once secure, he rains down sharp elbows on the side of his opponent’s head as they attempt to suck his hips away from the fence. He did it first to former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga and then to the venerable and iron-chinned Josh Barnett eight months later. He tried to use them against Fabricio Werdum, but the savvy heavyweight champion pulled his head out of the way before he could suffer serious damage.

Browne is not the first or the only fighter to utilize this technique -- Conor McGregor knocked out Steve O’Keefe with the technique in the regionals, and Robbie Lawler used them to great effect against Johny Hendricks -- but he has done so with far more consistent, convincing and devastating results than his compatriots.

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