UFC welterweight Randy Brown gave credit to boxing legend Muhammad Ali for his win over Khaos Williams to open up the UFC 274 main card.
Brown earned a split decision win over Williams to capture his third-straight victory. He’s five of his last six fights overall, including most recently against Jared Gooden last October.
Brown’s boxing was a sight to behold in his victory over Williams. He used solid defensive work to go with opportunistic striking late in the fight to secure the win.
During his UFC 274 post-fight press conference, Brown revealed that he made Ali’s boxing career a major part of his fight preparation.
“It was fun, I went in there and did my thing. Big, bad, powerful monster. Khaos with the power. It’s reminiscent of Ali/Frazier. Ali/Foreman type,” Brown said. “All weekend, I’d been listening to Ali talk, watching the buildup to that fight. So in my mind, I went in there and said ‘ox vs. matador’. He was the ox, I was the matador. That was the mindset. Be light, be a butterfly, float. Do what I do.”
Brown went on to clarify that he wasn’t trying to copy Ali, and instead simply paid homage to his accomplishments.
“I wasn’t trying to emulate Muhammad Ali at all. I just took inspiration from the quotes and the things that he said, the fact that he was going up against a big bruiser or a puncher. Similar to the opponent I went up against. If you watch my career and watch my game, I’m from a boxing background. I try to be as slick as possible.”
Brown appears to be hitting his stride after an up-and-down start to his UFC tenure. He earned a shot in the UFC after impressing UFC President Dana White following a win over Robert Plotkin to retain the Ring of Combat welterweight title during the Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight show in 2015.
Ali continues to be the inspiration to many combat sports athletes in boxing and MMA, including Brown. He is arguably the greatest boxer of all time and one of the most influential athletes who transcended sports.
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