With all eyes on Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz on the main card at UFC 143 this Saturday, it’s easy to forget that one of the reasons why the sport of mixed martial arts is pushing past boxing as the premier combat sport is because of not just one marquee fight per show, but action packed undercard bouts as well.
And if one fighter is synonymous with action, it’s Matt “The Immortal” Brown.
Most fans who have seen Brown fight have come to love him for his take-no-prisoners style.
Those are also the fans who cringe with him when he gets caught in a submission, which happens quite a bit if his opponent can somehow keep from being knocked utterly senseless, which as not nearly as easy as it sounds.
Brown is a mixed bag.
In fighting, the tragedy is as compelling as the triumph. He’s easy to root for, even when he loses, because he’s chock full of that mythical “true grit.”
Of his 23 professional fights, Brown has lost 11, most by submission. The telling of his tale is not so easily summed up in the “loss” column. He’s been in countless firefights with some heavy hitters and he’s never been knocked out.
He possesses three of the most sought-after qualities in the game: brutal knock-out power, a granite chin, and a mindset that appreciates all-out war far above cautious or boring victories.
Most fighters with such records would have been demoted to the smaller shows, but not Brown. He’s 5-5 in the UFC and they’re still keeping him around, because they know he brings excitement. And that is the stuff of magic in the fight game.
Brown will be facing Chris Cope, a relative newcomer to the sport, Saturday night. Cope will be fighting hard to keep his position with the UFC after being knocked out by Che Mills early in the first round. Cope is a good fighter with a record of five wins over two defeats, and he is not taking anything for granted.
So, what makes this fight so exciting?
Two things, really: the fierce-to-a-fault style of Brown and the desperation of Cope.
As much of a mismatch as it looks to be on paper, this is a fight Cope can win, especially if he can get it to the ground.
Brown is so aggressive that sometimes he eagerly jumps into bear traps just to land another punch, and Cope can exploit that if he’s savvy enough.
But he must beware: Brown has serious anvils in his gloves and one only need recall his first- round annihilation of Pete Sell to testify to that. That was one of the few fights where I’ve seen Dana White pounding on the ring apron in panic and screaming for the fight to be stopped.
Either way, with both men having something to fight for, the undercard could see the kind of fireworks that die-hard fans hate to miss.
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