With domination of Browne, Werdum sets up date with Velasquez

Welcome home: Thanks to injuries to himself as well as scheduled opponents, Thiago Alves hadn't fought in a little over two years. And before his layoff, he

Jeff Wagenheim | Apr 20, 2014

With domination of Browne, Werdum sets up date with Velasquez /

Fabricio Werdum (right) surprisingly dominated Travis Browne, setting up a UFC heavyweight belt fight against Cain Velasquez. — Fabricio Werdum (right) surprisingly dominated Travis Browne, setting up a UFC heavyweight belt fight against Cain Velasquez :: Reinhold Matay/AP

Welcome home: Thanks to injuries to himself as well as scheduled opponents, Thiago Alves hadn't fought in a little over two years. And before his layoff, he had lost four of six fights. (Of course, that slide began the way a lot of UFC losing streaks do: on a date with Georges St-Pierre.) But maybe fighting MMA is like riding a bicycle, because Alves (20-9) jumped right back on and rolled past a game but beaten-to-the-punch Seth Baczynski via unanimous decision. And just like that, the 30-year-old Brazilian is once again someone for the stacked welterweight division to worry about.

Published Apr 20, 2014

JEFF WAGENHEIM

Paradoxically, Jeff Wagenheim considers himself a pacifist (except when driving in traffic) but nonetheless writes about mixed martial arts, the world's most combative sport (other than driving in traffic). As a veteran of three decades in magazines and newspapers, he's a bit grayer than most who attend UFC fights, even along press row. (A fan watching an MMA media panel show recently referred to him as "that crazy hippie uncle," to which Jeff responds, "Groovy, man!") Wagenheim also has tackled pro football for SI.com, and writes about sports and the arts for The Boston Globe. When he's not on the road chasing the UFC, Jeff spends Sunday afternoons spinning Sleepy LaBeef and Boozoo Chavis records for a popular (but not pop) radio show in western Massachusetts.