Tag: Matt Brown

UFC Veteran: Stipe Miocic ‘Didn’t Really Want To Be There’ Against Jon Jones

Matt Brown believes Stipe Miocic seemed devoid of drive during his clash with Jon Jones. Miocic challenged reigning heavyweight champion Jones in the main event of UFC 309 last Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The former longtime titleholder endured a dominant opening round, finding himself on his back as “Bones” rained […]

Matt Brown believes Stipe Miocic seemed devoid of drive during his clash with Jon Jones.

Miocic challenged reigning heavyweight champion Jones in the main event of UFC 309 last Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The former longtime titleholder endured a dominant opening round, finding himself on his back as “Bones” rained down heavy shots from the top position.

Unfortunately for Miocic, the subsequent rounds provided no relief. He failed to mount any offense and ultimately fell victim to a devastating spinning back kick to the body in the third frame, marking the fight’s decisive conclusion.

Miocic appeared to grapple with significant Octagon rust, returning to competition after a prolonged hiatus following his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021. At 42 years old, the Ohio native’s age also seemed to play a role, with his movements noticeably lacking the sharpness and agility he once showcased.

During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer on MMA Fighting, “The Immortal” weighed in on Miocic’s performance against Jones, remarking that the former champion appeared far beyond his years and looked athletically diminished at UFC 309.

“As bad as he looked athletically — he looked his age, also — I say he looked past his age, to be honest,” Brown said. “Straight legs, no hate on Stipe. It just looked like he didn’t have it at this point, and why should he? He came to challenge himself at the highest level with the greatest ever and didn’t pass the challenge.”

Brown further expressed that Miocic, in his eyes, seemed visibly disinterested and was lacking urgency.

“Stipe, to me, looked like he didn’t really want to be there. He’s there for the challenge and maybe the money. I don’t know what his motivations were exactly. But it didn’t look to me like he really wanted to be there.”

After his defeat, Miocic officially announced his retirement from active competition, bringing an end to a storied career. He concluded his tenure in the cage with a 20-5 record, with 14 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

UFC Vet Questions Jon Jones’ Handling Of Aspinall Avoidance: ‘Should Have Sent A PR Trainer To Him’

Former longtime UFC welterweight Matt Brown believes heavyweight champion Jon Jones should have approached his refusal to fight Tom Aspinall differently. Jones is currently days away from his first defense of the 265-pound crown, which he captured at the expense of Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Having been sidelined through injury since, “Bones” will meet […]

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Former longtime UFC welterweight Matt Brown believes heavyweight champion Jon Jones should have approached his refusal to fight Tom Aspinall differently.

Jones is currently days away from his first defense of the 265-pound crown, which he captured at the expense of Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Having been sidelined through injury since, “Bones” will meet returning former champ Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 main event.

The pair were originally set to collide last November prior to Jones’ injury. An interim champ subsequently joined the fray when Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich, but that fact hasn’t stopped “Bones” from pursuing Miocic.

His decision to avoid unifying the title has proved to be a controversial one. And UFC 309 fight week has even seen Jones suggest that the continuation of his fighting career beyond this weekend would only be to face light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira.

During a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer show, Brown pointed to that statement as a big mistake on Jones’ part.

“The fact that he brought up that he is going to fight again, and it’s not going to be the current interim champion, that’s a mistake on his part,” Brown said. “UFC should have sent a PR trainer out there to him or something. ‘How about we don’t talk about the future and focus on what we’re doing now. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.’

“But he crossed the bridge and opened up the door. He has to know when he says that, there’s going to be criticism that he’s ducking,” Brown continued. “It’s not a good look. Jon don’t give a f*ck. He just says it.”

Should Jones be set to stick to his stance post-his planned victory this weekend, it would appear that Aspinall will be relying on a late-notice withdrawal from Miocic to make his dream of fighting the all-time great a reality.

The Brit is currently in New York City to weigh in as backup fighter for the UFC 309 main event. Beyond his assignment on the scale this Friday, the interim champ’s next step is unclear.

Continue Reading UFC Vet Questions Jon Jones’ Handling Of Aspinall Avoidance: ‘Should Have Sent A PR Trainer To Him’ at MMA News.

UFC Vet Chimes In On Pereira vs. Topuria Fighter Of The Year Debate: ‘Alex Didn’t Knock Out P4P Greats’

Matt Brown believes that Ilia Topuria has the edge over Alex Pereira in the discussion for UFC Fighter of the Year. “El Matador” secured the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. Subsequently, Topuria successfully retained his belt last Saturday in the main event of UFC 308, making history as […]

Continue Reading UFC Vet Chimes In On Pereira vs. Topuria Fighter Of The Year Debate: ‘Alex Didn’t Knock Out P4P Greats’ at MMA News.

Matt Brown believes that Ilia Topuria has the edge over Alex Pereira in the discussion for UFC Fighter of the Year.

“El Matador” secured the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. Subsequently, Topuria successfully retained his belt last Saturday in the main event of UFC 308, making history as the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway.

Meanwhile, “Poatan” successfully defended his light heavyweight title three times in just six months, with all victories coming by way of knockout. He began this impressive streak by stopping Jamahal Hill in the first round at UFC 300 in April. He then defeated Jiri Prochazka on two weeks’ notice at UFC 303 in June. Most recently, Pereira stopped Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 earlier this month.

With less than two full months remaining in 2024, Pereira stood out as the leading contender for Fighter of the Year. However, “The Immortal” contends that Topuria’s impressive knockout victories over two of the top 145-pounders in history had already secured him the year-end accolade, placing him ahead of the Brazilian and all other contenders.

During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer (via MMA Fighting), Brown noted that while “El Matador” might have one fewer win than Pereira this year, the caliber of his opponents in title fights has set a new benchmark for competitive excellence.

Continue Reading UFC Vet Chimes In On Pereira vs. Topuria Fighter Of The Year Debate: ‘Alex Didn’t Knock Out P4P Greats’ at MMA News.

UFC Veteran: Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira ‘Could Be As Big’ As A McGregor Fight

A recently retired UFC fighter believes the promotion could cash in big time by having reigning light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira challenge his heavyweight counterpart, Jon Jones. The possibility of Jones facing Pereira was barely a topic when the former debuted at heavyweight by winning the then-vacant title back in March 2023. At the time, […]

Continue Reading UFC Veteran: Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira ‘Could Be As Big’ As A McGregor Fight at MMA News.

A recently retired UFC fighter believes the promotion could cash in big time by having reigning light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira challenge his heavyweight counterpart, Jon Jones.

The possibility of Jones facing Pereira was barely a topic when the former debuted at heavyweight by winning the then-vacant title back in March 2023. At the time, “Poatan” occupied the throne at 185 pounds.

But since the end of his middleweight reign the following month, Pereira has moved up to light heavyweight and marked himself as one of the promotion’s leading stars by achieving two-division glory.

And a string of three straight title defenses in 2023 has left many calling for the Brazilian kickboxing specialist to move up again in pursuit of a historic achievement — championship glory in three separate weight classes.

Though Pereira was dismissive of an immediate heavyweight jump in the aftermath of his victory over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 earlier this month, many are hoping for the promotion to push for it should Jones keep hold of his gold beyond next month’s Madison Square Garden event.

During a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown touched on the topic and was firm in his belief when it comes to the magnitude of the potential clash.

“I don’t doubt this could be as big as any Conor fight,” Brown said. “This could be promoted to the max. They could do it (International) Fight Week or one of the gigantic cards maybe at the Sphere, something crazy. This could be enormous. Jon’s a smart guy. He’s here for the money now, I think. Legacy and money and Alex is going to bring that. It could be promoted as much as you want to promote. This could be the money fight. It’s heavyweight, too. Heavyweight fights always bring a stigma to them that those lighter fights just don’t bring.

“Conor obviously brought the trash talk and all the antics, the funny stuff and the cool stuff, there’s a certain aura when Conor comes into the cage,” Brown continued. “But there’s a different aura that can be sold here when Jon Jones, the greatest of all-time, who just beat the greatest heavyweight of all-time — assuming that happens — fighting another guy trying to do the biggest thing of all-time, (become) a three-weight world champion. I can’t think of a bigger fight outside of Conor, but I think it could be as big as any Conor fight.”

The bout has evidently been discussed internally, with UFC CEO Dana White revealing earlier this year that color commentator Joe Rogan has been pushing for “Poatan” and “Bones” to be matched up.

For the time being, Jones has his focus on the returning Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Beyond that, most believe any continued stay in the sport as an active fighter should see him unify the heavyweight title against Aspinall.

But perhaps the UFC would share Brown’s view on the draw of Jones vs. Pereira instead.

Continue Reading UFC Veteran: Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira ‘Could Be As Big’ As A McGregor Fight at MMA News.

UFC Veteran Skeptical Of Francis Ngannou’s Box Office Appeal For PFL

Francis Ngannou is poised to make his eagerly awaited PFL debut this Saturday after signing with the organization last year. He is set to face Renan Ferreira in a highly anticipated title bout for the heavyweight championship. This clash will headline the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants pay-perview, taking place at The Mayadeen […]

Continue Reading UFC Veteran Skeptical Of Francis Ngannou’s Box Office Appeal For PFL at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou is poised to make his eagerly awaited PFL debut this Saturday after signing with the organization last year. He is set to face Renan Ferreira in a highly anticipated title bout for the heavyweight championship.

This clash will headline the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants pay-perview, taking place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The former UFC heavyweight champion departed the promotion following his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022, driven by his long-standing dream to compete in boxing. He faced former heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the ring, but his foray into boxing didn’t go as planned.

The matchup between Ngannou and Ferreira has become one of the most discussed fights of the year, as it marks the return of “The Predator” to the MMA cage after more than two years away. However, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown believes that Ngannou has yet to reach the level of stardom necessary to generate a significant pay-per-view draw for the PFL.

During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer (via MMAFighting), “The Immortal” remarked that while Ngannou’s boxing matches were hailed as marquee events due to his bouts with two of the biggest names in the sport, his upcoming PFL fight may struggle to gain similar traction, primarily because his opponent lacks widespread recognition.

“He’s not that big of a star,” Brown said. “We watched him fight Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury because of him fighting those guys. He’s not a Conor McGregor, and we’re just going to watch him no matter who he fights. Even if Conor fought some lower-level guy, there would be a drop-off in pay-per-views, right?He’s got to have a ‘B’ side also that’s a ‘B’ side. Francis is fighting a ‘D’ side here. It’s not a ‘B’ side. It’s a ‘D’ side, and Francis just isn’t big enough of an ‘A’ side to draw. We don’t know how much he’s getting paid, but if it’s the amounts we would guess, it’s not going to cover his expense, I don’t think.”

PFL CEO Peter Murray has confidently proclaimed that the Battle of the Giants card will outshine both UFC 300 and UFC 306 in terms of popularity, setting it up to be the year’s premier MMA event. However, fans will have to wait until the weekend to see if the Ngannou-headlined spectacle lives up to the hype.

Continue Reading UFC Veteran Skeptical Of Francis Ngannou’s Box Office Appeal For PFL at MMA News.

UFC Vet ‘Feels Bad’ For Those Sharing A Division With Kayla Harrison: ‘I Don’t Think Anybody Has A Chance’

A longtime UFC fan favorite is high on Kayla Harrison, so much so that he doesn’t see anybody in the bantamweight division being able to beat her. Harrison, a two-time title winner under the PFL banner, will feature on the main card of this weekend’s UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she’s […]

Continue Reading UFC Vet ‘Feels Bad’ For Those Sharing A Division With Kayla Harrison: ‘I Don’t Think Anybody Has A Chance’ at MMA News.

A longtime UFC fan favorite is high on Kayla Harrison, so much so that he doesn’t see anybody in the bantamweight division being able to beat her.

Harrison, a two-time title winner under the PFL banner, will feature on the main card of this weekend’s UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she’s set to make her second outing inside the Octagon.

After establishing herself as a dominant force outside MMA’s leading promotion, Harrison got her pursuit of gold in the UFC underway in strong fashion this past April with a submission win over former champ Holly Holm.

To secure a likely title shot down the line, the 34-year-old former judoka is next tasked with getting the better of #2-ranked contender Ketlen Vieira in the “Beehive State.”

And by the sounds of things, recently retired UFC veteran Matt Brown has little doubt about who will have their hand raised in that matchup…

Brown On Harrison Joining BW Division: ‘If I’m The Champion, I’m Retiring’

During the latest episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown discussed Harrison’s successful arrival into the UFC women’s bantamweight division earlier this year.

Having seen the manner with which the Ohio native dispatched Holm, “The Immortal” doesn’t see anybody on the roster at 135 pounds capable of halting Harrison’s charge.

“I feel bad for the girls in that division. If I’m the champion, I’m retiring. If I’m Raquel Pennington or I’m Julianna Peña and I win the fight, I’m out. I’m pulling an Eddie Bravo here. Win the big one and I’m done,” Brown said. “I wasn’t quite as big of a believer until the way I watched her beat Holly Holm. Because I just didn’t know about the weight cut, and how she was going to perform (after) the weight cut, and sometimes people change when they come to the UFC. They’re just not what we thought they were when they were in a different organization.

“I think she answered every question very clearly. She’s going to come in, and I don’t think anybody has a chance against her,” Brown continued. “We’re on the way to the Kayla Harrison era. I think she wrecks everybody in that division, including Amanda if she comes back. I don’t think anybody stands a chance against Kayla. I think she is a major problem for everybody in there. … She is an absolute terror for this division.”

Harrison will look to prove Brown right come fight night in Salt Lake City this weekend, when she shares the card with another “terror” in UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira.

The pair recently got familiar with one another on the mats, with Harrison teaching “Poatan” some judo moves. Her ability to take the Brazilian down is perhaps strong evidence for Brown’s prediction of dominance for the two-time Olympic gold medalist at 135 pounds.

Continue Reading UFC Vet ‘Feels Bad’ For Those Sharing A Division With Kayla Harrison: ‘I Don’t Think Anybody Has A Chance’ at MMA News.