Matt Brown will fight at UFC 189 after all, just not against Nate Diaz. The UFC announced on FOX Sports 1’s America’s Pregame show that Brown is slated to collide against streaking welterweight Tim Means at the July 11 pay-per-view, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Brown (19-13) was initially expected to lock horns against Diaz at UFC 189, however that fight fell apart after Diaz publicly stated that he was being “strong-armed” into agreeing to terms, claiming that the UFC never actually contacted him to finalize a contract.
Instead, Brown will face Means (24-6-1), a former lightweight who’s revitalized his career with a sterling 6-1 run since shifting up 170 pounds. The six-foot-two Means extended his current UFC winning streak to four straight this past weekend at UFC on FOX 15, submitting George Sullivan with a third-round arm-triangle choke.
Means’ run of success now leads into the most high-profile opportunity of his career, as the unranked welterweight will take on the No. 5 ranked Brown.
The 34-year-old Brown will be looking to rebound after suffered back-to-back losses against former UFC champion Johny Hendricks and current champion Robbie Lawler, setbacks which snapped a brutally violent seven-fight win streak that propelled the once-middling Brown into title contention.
An updated UFC 189 fight card can be seen below.
- Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor
- Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
- Matt Brown vs. Tim Means
- Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens
- Gunnar Nelson vs. John Hathaway
- Brandon Thatch vs. John Howard
- Mike Swick vs. Alex Garcia
- Cody Garbrandt vs. Henry Briones