The sports universe loves an underdog story, and Matt Brown is the UFC’s perfect rendition. One can look at Brown’s personal and athletic life to see multiple examples of how he has come back from near defeat.
The Immortal will step into th…
The sports universe loves an underdog story, and Matt Brown is the UFC’s perfect rendition. One can look at Brown’s personal and athletic life to see multiple examples of how he has come back from near defeat.
The Immortal will step into the cage this Saturday in San Jose, California, to face Robbie Lawler, and his story embodies what makes professional sports so enthralling. Even though he’s played the underdog throughout most of his career, he should not be overlooked in any fashion come main event time at UFC on Fox 12.
Brown brings a story that deserves recognition from all of the major outlets covering this event. Professionally, he was nearly out of the promotion back in 2010 when he dropped three fights in a row, all via second-round submission.
That struggle isn’t even the most difficult test that Brown has had to deal with in his life. Sherdog’s Joseph Santoliquito’s recent piece on Brown’s life chronicles the moments in which the UFC contender was clinically dead after a near-fatal overdose on heroin.
Many individuals have suffered from such demons in their personal life, but few truly make the best of their opportunities following such a downfall.
Brown’s rise to become an MMA fan favorite has been astounding and exciting to watch.
Brown is riding a seven-fight win streak as he prepares to face Lawler in what UFC President Dana White deemed a No. 1 contender’s contest for the UFC welterweight title, per UFC.com (via SB Nation). Even though Brown has crushed the opposition for the better part of the last two years, he is still widely considered the betting underdog coming into this fight.
Bestfightodds.com (via Cage Potato) has him currently listed at a +180 underdog as compared to a +260 favorite for Lawler.
While Lawler has had the more prolific second stanza to his MMA career, Brown should not be counted out of this bout. His will has kept him in other contests in which he’s been close to defeat, and that is what makes this fight much more appealing.
Erick Silva had Brown badly hurt very early in their bout at UFC Fight Night this past May. Jordan Mein also got off to a great start against the Immortal at UFC on Fox 7. However, Brown was able to hang on and win by stopping his opponents in the moments to follow.
Lawler has shown the ability to put fighters away, especially when he has them hurt. But the question is whether or not he will be able to do the same with Brown, who tends to hang on even when placed in dire straits.
This dynamic is what makes this fight so anticipated.
If Brown gets hurt early and finds a way to pull out a victory, he will certainly cross over from being a midcard fan favorite to becoming a star in this sport.
The underdog story will always capture the attention of sports fans. Brown embodies that persona for mixed martial arts, as he steps into a major career contest at UFC on Fox 12.
Lawler may be the man everyone is picking to win the bout, but the Immortal has hung on to snatch victory away from opponents in the past.
The fight world should not be surprised if he finds a way to do it again.
When Chris Weidman defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175, it was clear that his original foe, Vitor Belfort, was next in line for a shot at the middleweight championship.
For Weidman’s third defense, things aren’t as simple for the UFC as faxin…
When Chris Weidman defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175, it was clear that his original foe, Vitor Belfort, was next in line for a shot at the middleweight championship.
For Weidman’s third defense, things aren’t as simple for the UFC as faxing out a pair of bout agreements and picking an arena, as the Brazilian’s drug testing issues aren’t completely behind him.
Belfort tested positive for elevated testosterone levels in a random drug screening in Nevada back in February, and if the Nevada State Athletic Commission won’t license him, Luke Rockhold is the man who most deserves a title fight against Chris Weidman.
The question about whether or not Vitor Belfort will get a license is a valid one. The UFC would prefer to have Belfort’s next fight in Brazil, but UFC President Dana White has stated recently that he needs to be granted a license to fight by the NSAC before the UFC would book him again, in Nevada or otherwise.
As ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto wrote (via UFC-Buzz), Belfort’s case is unique in nature:
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has no precedence regarding certain details of Belfort’s application — nor is it likely to face these details again as they pertain to testosterone replacement therapy, which is now effectively banned in combat sports.
Belfort’s positive test-result indicated the presence of synthetic testosterone, a fact that wasn’t new. He was planning on filing for a therapeutic-use exemption with the NSAC for his fight with Weidman, which was planned for May.
After all the testing, and discussions of relevancy of ratios, and nanograms per-deciliters, and whether or not the NSAC handled the banning of testosterone-replacement therapy as well as they could have, the question remains: Will Vitor Belfort get licensed to fight in Nevada?
We don’t know.
If he does then he is free to face Weidman for the title wherever the UFC pleases, which will most likely be in Brazil. If he doesn’t get a fighter’s license, the next-best option is Luke Rockhold, whose only loss in the past six years has come against Belfort, who was on a straight tear through the middleweight division.
The former Strikeforce middleweight champion rebounded from that unsuccessful UFC debut by decimating Costas Philippou with a kick to the body in their January encounter, finishing him two minutes and 31 seconds into the first round.
He looked as impressive as ever with another first-round finish in his last outing, this time against Tim Boetsch, who tapped to a vicious reverse-triangle choke.
During his Strikeforce tenure, he notched wins against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Tim Kennedy, both of whom have gone 3-0 inside the Octagon since the Strikeforce merger and are nearing title contention themselves.
Rockhold hasn’t just beaten everyone aside from Belfort, but he’s shown growth in both his striking and grappling each time we’ve seen him in the cage.
A Weidman vs. Rockhold matchup would be interesting stylistically as well, as Weidman likes to close the distance and cut off the cage, while Rockhold likes to find his range and confuse you with his striking.
We’ve seen Weidman take Machida down, but Rockhold wouldn’t be as quick as Lyoto to try to get the fight back to the feet. Rockhold is not only comfortable in any position, but he’s also creative almost everywhere the fight goes.
Weidman is on a quest to establish himself as one of the most dominant UFC champions of all time. In order to do that he is going to need to defeat the current crop of middleweight contenders, which is as talent-rich as the division has ever seen.
Should Vitor Belfort not be able to sort out his commission troubles, Luke Rockhold is by far the clearest choice to challenge Chris Weidman next for the middleweight title. He’s outclassed highly ranked fighters and could even be Weidman’s most formidable foe.
In his first stint in the UFC, Anthony Johnson, who now walks around at 230 pounds, was competing as a welterweight. Though this never seemed like anything other than an act of defiance, Johnson didn’t exactly have a yogi’s gift of physical reduction; he struggled mightily to make 170-pound limit. He struggled to make 185 too. Sometimes he didn’t make it. Too often, in fact.
That’s where the trouble began. Four times he showed up to the scale heavy. The last miss on the scale led to Johnson’s dismissal from the UFC in January 2012. And yet it was in the self-imposed hell of those struggles … Read the Full Article Here
In his first stint in the UFC, Anthony Johnson, who now walks around at 230 pounds, was competing as a welterweight. Though this never seemed like anything other than an act of defiance, Johnson didn’t exactly have a yogi’s gift of physical reduction; he struggled mightily to make 170-pound limit. He struggled to make 185 too. Sometimes he didn’t make it. Too often, in fact.
That’s where the trouble began. Four times he showed up to the scale heavy. The last miss on the scale led to Johnson’s dismissal from the UFC in January 2012. And yet it was in the self-imposed hell of those struggles … Read the Full Article Here
For the past two decades, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has transformed himself in every sense of the word. He morphed from Canadian Football League castoff into one of the most popular professional wrestlers of all time, and then into the most bankable star in Hollywood. Along the way, he has matched his career gains in sheer physical size. As a teen growing up in Hawaii, Johnson fell in love with the weight room. His singular talents as an entertainer are unequivocal, but he owes no small part of his success to his dedication to the iron. Seeing Johnson on the silver screen, it’s easy to overloo … Read the Full Article Here
For the past two decades, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has transformed himself in every sense of the word. He morphed from Canadian Football League castoff into one of the most popular professional wrestlers of all time, and then into the most bankable star in Hollywood. Along the way, he has matched his career gains in sheer physical size. As a teen growing up in Hawaii, Johnson fell in love with the weight room. His singular talents as an entertainer are unequivocal, but he owes no small part of his success to his dedication to the iron. Seeing Johnson on the silver screen, it’s easy to overloo … Read the Full Article Here
Most MMA fans, no matter the age, get the opportunity to gaze upon a genuine rivalry between two elite fighters in their lifetime. They square off back and forth, split victories and keep fans hungry.
That’s like winning $15 on a $1 scratcher fro…
Most MMA fans, no matter the age, get the opportunity to gaze upon a genuine rivalry between two elite fighters in their lifetime. They square off back and forth, split victories and keep fans hungry.
That’s like winning $15 on a $1 scratcher from the gas station across the street.
Few fight fans ever get the opportunity to be witness to two of the best fight camps in the world—stocked to the brim with elite fighters—showcasing a similar rivalry.
That’s like landing the rich girl, or guy, who’s light-years out of your league.
MMA fans can rejoice, though, for you’ve all landed your wealthy partner who’s as capable of picking up the check as getting past all your insecurities and emotional baggage.
That partner can otherwise be referred to as the rivalry that’s brewing between Rio deJaneiro’s Nova Uniao and Sacramento’s Team Alpha Male.
Just in case you’re unaware, read on for a bit of a history lesson.
The Featherweights
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact origin to the rivalry, but it’s safe to assume that Jose Aldo’s victory over Urijah Faber at WEC 48 in 2010 played a big role in getting things going.
Nova Uniao’s Aldo, who at the time was riding a nine-fight winning streak, had just captured the WEC featherweight crown in 2009—a title once held by Team Alpha Male’s Faber.
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining his title against Mike Brown—the man who would dethrone Faber but lose to Aldo—The California Kid got another crack at the belt.
Unable to defend against Aldo’s vicious leg kicks, Faber was forced to exit the cage with bad bruising on his legs and no belt on his waist.
Aldo would go on to take his winning streak even further, capturing eight more victories en route to becoming the first ever UFC featherweight champion and most dominant man to ever step inside any cage at 145 pounds.
Faber wouldn’t be the last Team Alpha Male member to try to knock Aldo off the mountain and end his dominant reign—a then-undefeated Chad Mendes tried his luck against the dominant Brazilian before taking a vicious knee to the face in the first round of their title fight at UFC 142 in 2012.
Mendes was out cold and Aldo would take his championship record to an undefeated 2-0 against the Sacramento-based team.
Two years later, and Aldo still sits on his throne while Mendes has knocked out four out of his last five victims upon earning a second chance at Aldo’s strap. They haven’t been so cordial this time around.
From volleying performance-enhancing drug allegations back and forth at each other to Mendes questioning the champion’s durability as a fighter, it’s evident these two men have thrown respect out the window.
Mendes first spoke with Sherdog Radio in response to Aldo calling him a “pu–y” (h/t MMAFighting.com) for the PED accusation:
This is huge for me. This is huge for me getting in there and taking that belt from him. I’ve never seen him talk like this about anybody. He’s being very disrespectful. I’ve never been caught red-handed or anything. It’s funny to me that as soon as the whole random drug testing started popping up, the next day he is injured and out of the fight. If anything, I could throw that in his face, but whatever.
The Bantamweights
After realizing he could no longer compete with the bigger, stronger fighters the 145-pound division had to offer, Faber made his way down to bantamweight.
He would go on to lose his first chance at UFC bantamweight gold when he came out on the bad end of a close, but unanimous, decision to then-champion Dominick Cruz.
Faber’s next chance at the title came against a rising, dominant bantamweight star in Nova Uniao’s RenanBarao.
Barao was riding a 28-fight winning streak and Faber was fresh off a dominant submission victory against Brian Bowles.
Faber’s fight against Barao went much like his last fight against a Nova Uniao fighter—he was left battered. A broken rib suffered early on inside the Octagon would prevent Faber from seeing his hand raised and leaving with UFC gold.
Three submissions in four wins in 2013 would place Faber back inside the cage against Barao, who was now seeking to defend his bantamweight belt for the third time.
The sequel would be nothing like the original—but that didn’t mean it would end well for Faber this time, either. Barao dominated Faber on the feet, stunning him and knocking him down twice before a premature stoppage from referee Herb Dean at UFC 169. He was 0-3 in title fights against Nova Uniao.
With seemingly nobody left to challenge Barao’s 32-fight winning streak, the UFC green-lit a bout between Barao and TJ Dillashaw—the latest Team Alpha Male member to get an opportunity at UFC glory.
With just one fight—a loss, at that—against a ranked bantamweight opponent, many (including this author) believed Dillashaw was merely the next body for Barao to dispose of.
He was supposed to be No. 33.
He was inexperienced. He was unproven. He was vulnerable.
It didn’t matter.
It took one round and a jaw-dropping knockdown to silence all the critics—Dillashaw, at the very least, belonged inside the cage with the champion. It took four-and-a-half rounds of complete and utter domination to prove he was the better fighter and the rightful heir to the bantamweight throne.
Team Alpha Male finally had a UFC champion to call its own.
Once an invincible, dominant, pound-for-pound beast, Barao now stands where Dillashaw once did—an undeserving title contender. Really, it wasn’t even close enough to give the greatest of champions an immediate rematch.
So, here we stand.
Bloody Elbow indicates Barao was the latest to take part in a Duane Ludwig striking seminar, and Mendes is finally under Aldo’s skin. If all that history isn’t enough to validate this rivalry, you might want to dust off your dictionary.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
Matt Brown once authored a 12-11 record as a professional mixed martial artist, leaving many questioning whether or not The Immortal had a place among the sport’s elite.
He’s since capped off a seven-fight winning streak and thrust hi…
Matt Brown once authored a 12-11 record as a professional mixed martial artist, leaving many questioning whether or not The Immortal had a place among the sport’s elite.
He’s since capped off a seven-fight winning streak and thrust himself into the title conversation, silencing most of his doubters.
“Cincinnati, Ohio, who do you want to see fight for the title next?” Brown asked the fans in attendance after his comeback performance against Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night in May.
Though few men inside the Octagon’s welterweight division can attest to the same type of streak Brown’s held since 2012, The Immortal’s got one last task before he can get to the champ—his name is Robbie Lawler.
Lawler’s victory streak is nowhere near as impressive as Brown’s currently is, but that hasn’t stopped many from wondering if the latter fighter is in over his head as he prepares for the UFC’s No. 1-ranked welterweight.
Yes, Brown’s been victorious in his past seven—with six of those wins coming by way of knockout or TKO—but those numbers alone shouldn’t grant Brown an automatic nod against the former welterweight title contender.
Dust off your magnifying glass, inspect Brown’s last five fights a little closer and see for yourself why his winning streak hasn’t already catapulted him into any title fights.
It’s not his fault, though—the UFC just hasn’t given many opportunities against the division’s elite. He had his chance against the promotion’s No. 3-ranked contender, Carlos Condit, back in December before falling victim to two herniated discs in his back before the bout.
He’ll get just what he needs to validate his winning streak this Saturday: a bout with a top-10 opponent.
That top-10 opponent, while not undefeated in his last five bouts, has faced much, much stronger competition.
Brown’s most recent victory was a few strikes away from being a loss, while Lawler’s most recent loss was a late takedown away from being a win.
It’s worth noting that Brown’s near-loss stemmed from a body kick from an orthodox fighter that all but folded him like a lawn chair. Silva couldn’t capitalize and let a recovered Brown put a shiny bow on what Jon Anik called “one of the greatest performances in UFC history.”
He’ll naturally be at greater risk of facing that same type of strike against a southpaw Lawler on Saturday, and you can bet Ruthless will be ruthless if he sees Brown in any sort of visible distress during their No. 1 contender bout at UFC on Fox 12.
Ruthless and The Immortal have their eyes set on getting inside the Octagon with Johny Hendricks. A win against a resurgent Brown is all Lawler needs before he’s able to punch his ticket back to the dance. A win against a proven Lawler is the last piece of the puzzle before Brown can effectively silence all of the critics.
Whether or not you think Brown is in over his head is irrelevant—few excuses should prevent you from tuning in to this guaranteed barnburner.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
The sports universe loves an underdog story, and Matt Brown is the UFC’s perfect rendition. One can look at Brown’s personal and athletic life to see multiple examples of how he has come back from near defeat.