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With Russow callout behind him, UFC 145's Browne now focused on Griggs | MMAjunkie.com

Following his victory over Rob Broughton at UFC 135, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne expressed a desire to return to the octagon before his 2012 campaign got underway.

In hopes of making that a reality, Browne (12-0-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) requested a matchup against fellow heavyweight Mike Russow (15-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who had been pulled from a previously scheduled bout with Dave Herman following his failed drug test.

While the Hawaiian heavyweight didn't receive that wish, he has received the opportunity to welcome once-beaten Strikeforce vet Chad Griggs (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the octagon at UFC 145, which takes place April 21 at Atlanta's Phillips Arena.

Browne's now ready to put the Russow situation in his rearview mirror.

"First and foremost, I'm not in the business of calling people out," Browne recently told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com). "I'm not trying to name one person and say, 'Hey, I'm calling you out because I don't like you.' So the whole thing about Russow was that it was around October, and his fight got canceled, and I believe it was Dave Herman at the time he was supposed to fight. I just had just gotten off my fight with Rob Broughton, and I wasn't hurt at all, and I even talked to (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) when we were in Houston (for UFC 136)."

Silva told Browne they simply scrapped the Russow-Herman fight due to a lack of available opponents. Wanting to get back in the cage quickly, Browne offered to fight him.

"So, that's what I was telling Joe, and when someone would ask me who I wanted to fight, I would say Russow had a fight canceled, and if he's looking to fight because he's in shape already then let's do it as soon as possible," he said. "I just want to fight soon.

"But if he thinks I'm talking [expletive] about him or anything like that, then he can think that if that fuels his fire. But I think he's barking up the wrong tree."

Browne feels that his request to fight Russow, who went to beat Joey Beltran at UFC on FOX 2 in his hometown of Chicago, was taken out of context. He believes that is was a simple plea on his behalf to make a quick return to the octagon.

"Like I said, I'm not in the business of calling people out, so I just wanted to get out there and get another fight under my belt before the year ended, and heavyweight conditioning is a big deal," Browne said. "He was already ready and in shape, and I was ready. I wasn't hurt from my last fight, and he was already in shape, so why not put it together?"

Now, Browne's shifting his focus to Griggs, who's become the task at hand and the next fighter to stand in his way of reaching the upper echelon of the division.

While Griggs may not own the same octagon credentials as Russow, the Strikeforce crossover has earned six consecutive victories dating back to his lone career loss in 2007 (to the IFL's Shane Ott). Browne fully expects a career-best performance on April 21.

"I'm excited about it," Browne said. "He's a really tough fighter, and he comes at you with everything he has and doesn't stop. He's like a little pitbull, and he doesn't care what he hits you with. He's just there to hurt you and to win.

"He's coming into this fight with nothing to lose, so I expect the best Chad Griggs that we've ever seen. ... This fight I'm really coming out like I have something to prove, just like he does. He's trying to prove he belongs in the UFC, and I'm proving that I belong in the top-tier of the division. That's what we both have to come out and prove to the fans, to the UFC brass, and everybody."