Travis Browne Praises New Coach Edmond Tarverdyan After TKO Win at UFC 181

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Moments after sealing his victory over Brendan Schaub with a barrage of ground-and-pound from back mount, Travis Browne had a few choice words for his fallen opponent.

The 6-foot-7 Hawaiian wouldn’t divulge the nature of the exchange, but its origin was very clear. “Hapa” didn’t take kindly to Schaub’s disparaging remarks about Edmond Tarverdyan and the Glendale Fighting Club, where Browne trained prior to UFC 181.

“There’s been a little bit of banter going between our camp and him. When I get to know somebody like coach Edmond and know what kind of a coach he is -- not only that, but what kind of a man he is -- it makes it personal for me,” Browne explained “That was between him and I, and we’ll keep it there. It is what it is, but we’re moving forward.”

Browne rebounded from a disappointing loss to Fabricio Werdum in a title eliminator bout at UFC on Fox 11 in April. After fending off a couple early takedowns, Browne turned the tide with a counter right uppercut. From there, it was all Browne, as he mounted Schaub several times before flattening out his foe from the back and earning the stoppage.

After the loss to Werdum, Browne left Jackson-Wink MMA to train with Tarverdyan’s team in California. Browne had nothing but praise for his new camp on Saturday night.

“We worked on my stance, my distance, letting my hands go – which I didn’t do in the beginning of the fight. Everything,” Browne said. “He’s teaching me the art of fighting in that sense -- not just showing me how to knock somebody out.”

Browne’s satisfaction with Tarverdyan is in no way a slight toward his former gym, however.

“I know how the media likes to twist things, and I’m not knocking Jackson and Winkeljohn because they’re amazing coaches,” he continued. “I’m able to learn from this man, and it’s really made a difference. I look forward to showcasing my skills in my next fight. I did an OK job in this fight, but the next fight is going to be even better.”

One can’t argue with Browne’s results. Where Tarverdyan was once known only for cornering UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, it now appears that he has gained another loyal pupil. Part of Tarverdyan’s appeal is in his approach, Browne says.

“Unfortunately we live in a day and age that there’s a lot of shady ass people out there -- people that love to live in the grey area of life,” Browne said. “Edmond is a very black and white kind of person where, if you do something you’re not supposed, he’ll tell you. Or the opposite: If you did something good, he’ll be like, ‘Good job.’ It’s very refreshing to be around a man like that.”