Tag: Matt Brown

Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’

Israel Adesanya was unable to recapture the UFC middleweight title at UFC 305, meaning that for the first time in his MMA career, he’s coming off of back-to-back losses. “The Last Stylebender” made it clear in his post-fight interview that he’s not leaving the Octagon for good just yet despite his defeat to Dricus Du […]

Continue Reading Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya was unable to recapture the UFC middleweight title at UFC 305, meaning that for the first time in his MMA career, he’s coming off of back-to-back losses.

“The Last Stylebender” made it clear in his post-fight interview that he’s not leaving the Octagon for good just yet despite his defeat to Dricus Du Plessis in Perth, Australia.

In fact, even though he did show some weaknesses, there were a lot of positives to take away from his main event display. Up until he was hurt by a big looping shot, it appeared that he was on his way to swinging the contest his way in the fourth round.

The big question to answer after he put in a good performance but was ultimately defeated is whether Du Plessis was simply the better man on the night, or is Adesanya not as good as he once was?

Matt Brown Questions Whether Israel Adesanya Is On A Clear Decline

There were certainly shades of the Adesanya that blew everyone away with his rise up the middleweight ladder and subsequent title reign.

His accuracy and shot selection was a work of art but his defense did appear to suffer, and he took some big shots from “Stillknocks.” That eventually led to a mistake on the ground which cost him the fight.

During the latest episode of Fighter vs. Writer on MMA Fighting, UFC veteran Matt Brown weighed in with his thoughts on this past weekend’s title clash.

Like many, he liked what he saw from the former champion but he did address some concerns over whether at 35, things aren’t getting any easier for “The Last Stylebender.”

“I’ve had the question, Izzy is 35, he’s got a lot of miles on him from kickboxing and MMA, is his peak just ending? Is that what happened over the weekend? Is his peak just ending? When he fought [Sean] Strickland, maybe he just had an off night, but maybe he’s slowing down too. Maybe five years ago that was an easy fight for him, and he’s just not in peak form anymore.

“The way he looked against Dricus, I thought he looked really good, but that could have been him still slowing down a little bit. I thought his defense didn’t look as good as it had in the past, which was kind of the unique thing because he relies so much on reactions. He’s not necessarily a hands tight, high guard, really defensive guy in that sense, really technical. He kind of relies on reactions. When those start slowing down, that’s when guys like Dricus start hitting you. That’s when guys like Strickland start hitting you a lot more. If he’s slowing down a little bit, maybe his time is up?”

It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the career of Adesanya. In terms of the title picture, it would appear a clash of his former opponents is to come, with Du Plessis expected to run it back with former champ Sean Strickland.

Continue Reading Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’ at MMA News.

Recently Retired UFC Fighter Sympathizes With Tony Ferguson’s Struggles: ‘He’s Like A Cocaine Addict Trying To Reach That High Again’

One man with experience committing to an exit from active competition knows full well the difficulty that former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is having amid an eight-fight skid. Ferguson fell to an unwanted record at this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, with fellow veteran Michael Chiesa sending him to the […]

Continue Reading Recently Retired UFC Fighter Sympathizes With Tony Ferguson’s Struggles: ‘He’s Like A Cocaine Addict Trying To Reach That High Again’ at MMA News.

One man with experience committing to an exit from active competition knows full well the difficulty that former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is having amid an eight-fight skid.

Ferguson fell to an unwanted record at this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, with fellow veteran Michael Chiesa sending him to the longest run of defeats in the promotion’s history.

“El Cucuy” was finished inside the first round at the Etihad Arena, tapping out to a rear-naked choke after being comfortably taken down and offering little defense to the submission move.

In the aftermath, the 40-year-old initially appeared set to announce his retirement. But while the majority seemingly would have supported that move, the best they got was a half-retirement, and event that appeared to be quickly walked back in the aftermath.

Brown: Ferguson ‘Has To Accept’ His Time Has Gone

During the latest episode of MMA Fighting’s The Writer vs. The Fighter, recently retired welterweight Matt Brown gave his assessment of Ferguson’s current situation.

“The Immortal” brought his career to an end this year, having amassed the second most fights in the 170-pound division’s history and falling below only heavyweight powerhouse Derrick Lewis for knockouts.

Brown retired a year on from his previous appearance, a brutal KO victory over Court McGee. The result ensured he hung up the gloves off the back of a 2-1 record across his final three fights, all of which netted him performance bonuses.

The ship appears to have sailed when it comes to Ferguson retiring on a similarly strong run of form, and Brown thinks “El Cucuy” is simply chasing a “high” that will never come again.

“Look, when you lose eight in a row, it doesn’t matter where you’re at in your career…you should probably call it quits,” Brown said. “Something isn’t right. Whatever it is. If you lost your first eight or you lost your last eight. The problem is he had so many wins, he was interim champion, on like a 12-fight winning streak back in the day. So he’s like a cocaine addict trying to reach that high again. When you get eight (losses), it doesn’t matter. If he had lost eight fights in a row at the beginning of his career…he would have quit most likely. He would have been like, ‘Well, this definitely isn’t the sport for me, I lost eight fights in a row.’ But because he’s already had that high, he’s thinking I can get back to that.

“It’s like cocaine. It really is. That’s what walking into an Octagon and beating another man’s ass (feels like), especially the way Tony did where he just f*cking ripped people’s souls out of their bodies. That is a high you cannot get anywhere else, in any other way,” Brown continued. “But you can’t chase that. You’ve got to accept that was the season of your life, and it’s time to move onto a new season.”

Ferguson is yet to discuss his future since his comments inside the cage and at the post-fight press conference this past weekend. It remains to be seen whether he’ll attempt another outing inside the Octagon, and whether the UFC will even let him.

Continue Reading Recently Retired UFC Fighter Sympathizes With Tony Ferguson’s Struggles: ‘He’s Like A Cocaine Addict Trying To Reach That High Again’ at MMA News.

Matt Brown doubles down on his belief that Conor McGregor is ‘not ever coming back’ to the UFC

Matt Brown doubles down on his claim that Conor McGregor is 'not ever coming back' to the UFCMatt Brown was never fully convinced that we’d see Conor McGregor fight at UFC 303. After nearly three years…

Matt Brown doubles down on his claim that Conor McGregor is 'not ever coming back' to the UFC

Matt Brown was never fully convinced that we’d see Conor McGregor fight at UFC 303.

After nearly three years on the shelf, ‘Mystic Mac’ was primed for a long-awaited clash with former Bellator champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler on June 29. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case after McGregor withdrew from the contest due to an undisclosed injury.

Conor McGregor

With uncertainty surrounding the nature of McGregor’s injury, Brown is feeling even more confident in his original belief that the Irishman would never again compete inside the Octagon.

“I was never confident before that he would [come back],” Brown said during an appearance on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “It didn’t shock me when I saw he was out of this fight. No, I’m still on that same train — he’s not ever coming back.

“I say the same thing I said before, I hope he proves me wrong. I hope I’m wrong. I would like to see Conor fight again. I would like to see him do a real training camp with real training partners, push himself hard, go back to the great Conor that he was before. I would love to see that. I think a lot of people would love to see that. It’s not happening” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Brown would love to see Conor McGregor prove him wrong, but ‘The Immortal’ feels like McGregor would be better served by making the move to boxing. Not only would he take less damage, but he’d likely bank a far bigger payday for his efforts.

“Notice I said ‘maybe he will prove me wrong,’ and I remember when you broke that news, the first thing I said is, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it,’” Brown said. “I said maybe he’ll prove me wrong, and that’s a maybe. I would still say the same thing. It just doesn’t make sense for him to fight again. If he’s going to fight again, it should be boxing. He doesn’t have to worry as much about the shin. I think most likely what’s going on here is the shin isn’t taking, the titanium or whatever kind of plate they put in there, isn’t taking and he’s having a hard time with it.

“It’s been three years. You shouldn’t have to recover from any injury for three years. I’m not convinced still that he’ll ever fight again with the UFC. Maybe he’ll do something else. If he does, I think it should be boxing. He’s not a bad boxer. He’s not going to compete with Floyd Mayweather ever, but he’s a decent boxer. He’s got some good matches out there, I think.”

Conor McGregor

Matt Brown can’t see why Millionaire Conor McGregor would choose to put his body on the line anymore

Aside from the devastating leg injury and father time, Brown believes money is the biggest obstacle for the Irishman.

UFC CEO Dana White has echoed a similar sentiment, noting that when you’ve got a fighter with millions in the bank and a slew of lucrative ventures outside of fighting, there’s little incentive for them to put their bodies on the line

“I’ve said it many times — why would he come back?” Brown stated. “He built a large majority of his net worth outside of the UFC. He’s already built his brand in the UFC. He doesn’t have anything to prove coming back to the UFC. Of course, it makes for a great story and his brand magnifies even more if he comes back and wins another championship. I don’t see that happening, you don’t see that happening, no one really sees that happening.

“Of course, if Conor really wants it and really secludes himself in a tough training camp and brings in some tough guys, I don’t put it past him. But how motivated are you going to be do that when you’ve got $500 million in the bank?”

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Instead of seeing Conor McGregor’s quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sports history,” fans will be treated to a light heavyweight championship rematch as both reigning titleholder Alex Pereira and No. 1 ranked contender Jiri Prochazka step in on 16 days’ notice to run back their UFC 295 scrap.

Pereira vs. Prochazka

Ex-UFC star Ronda Rousey urged to take responsibility for how she’s treated by fans: ‘Show a little bit of humility’

Ronda Rousey urged to take responsibility for how UFC fans treat her show some humilityAmid claims from former bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey how she has yet to attend a UFC event due to…

Ronda Rousey urged to take responsibility for how UFC fans treat her show some humility

Amid claims from former bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey how she has yet to attend a UFC event due to an apparent lack of acceptance from both media and fans alike, the recently retired, Matt Brown has urged the former to take responsibility for her lack of “humility” since her retirement.

Rousey, a former undisputed bantamweight champion and the inaugural gold holder in the UFC, has been sidelined from the Octagon since she unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim the throne back in 2016.

Ronda Rousey again argues case she's the greatest fighter of all time it stings that I'm not recognized
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports

Headlining UFC 207 in her return from a year hiatus following a stunning high-kick knockout loss to former champion, Holly Holm, Riverside native, Ronda Rousey struggled in a first round technical knockout loss to former two-weight champion, Amanda Nunes.

And revealing earlier this year how a slew of neurological issues and successive concussions prevented her from making a comeback to fighting, Rousey, a former WWE star to boot, voiced her displeasure that the media nor fans viewed her as the best fighter of all-time.

Ronda Rousey hits back at UFC fans over criticizm of KO losses I'm the greatest fighter to ever live
Mandatory Credit: MMA Junkie

This week, Rousey further revealed that she felt “vilified” by the media since her departure, and that has led to her decision to decide against attending UFC events as a fan since her exit.

Ronda Rousey urged to show more humility since UFC exit

However, according to the above-mentioned, Brown – whom himself hung up his gloves earlier this month following an iconic career, Ronda Rousey should take some responsibility for perceived thoughts of her, due to a lack of “humility”.

UFC veteran Matt Brown announces decision to retire from MMA I'm not doing it anymore I'm out
Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon – USA TODAY Sports

“It’s just sad,” Matt Brown told MMA Fighting. “Because she’s got to live with herself. That’s the sad part. I’ve got losses, I’ve got way more losses than Ronda (Rousey). I fought a lot more times than Ronda. But you don’t want to go around living that way, blaming other people for the way your life is or the way that you’re portrayed.”

“I don’t doubt for a second that she could reconcile everything,” Brown continued. “Like she could walk in and show a little bit of humility – like you said, just show a little bit of f*cking humility and everybody would be bowing down to her again. Hire a f*cking PR person. Just hire a f*cking halfway decent PR person, tell you what to say, just say the sh*t and the world is yours again. You’re f*cking back at the top of the celebrity list. But no one wants to hear the sh*t that she’s saying.”

Do you agree with Matt Brown’s view on ex-UFC star, Ronda Rousey?

Matt Brown got a ‘performance of the night’ bonus from his date after she saw the UFC’s tribute to him

Matt Brown got a 'Performance of the Night' bonus from his date after she saw the UFC's tribute to himMatt Brown scored himself another performance bonus — just not the kind you’re thinking of. After 43 fights and…

Matt Brown got a 'Performance of the Night' bonus from his date after she saw the UFC's tribute to him

Matt Brown scored himself another performance bonus — just not the kind you’re thinking of.

After 43 fights and nearly 20 years as a professional mixed martial artist, ‘The Immortal’ announced his retirement in March.

“Not doing it again. I’m out,” Brown wrote on X. “That’s the announcement. My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world.”

Matt Brown

While Matt Brown was content with a no-frills announcement, the UFC still chose to pay tribute to ‘The Immortal’ courtesy of a highlight-reel that aired during Saturday’s event in St. Louis. As it turns out, Brown was on a date at the time and just happened the video package moments after arriving at his restaurant of choice.

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Matt Brown confirms receipt of his ‘bonus’ on the MMA Hour

In addition to his posts on social media, Brown offered some extra insight during an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

“It actually wasn’t a first date. It was a second date, but we went to this restaurant and I had no idea that this restaurant would be playing the UFC. I didn’t even know there was a UFC going on. We sat down and it wasn’t even two minutes later they started playing the montage and she knew nothing about the UFC. When I first told her I was a UFC fighter, she was like, ‘Do you mean a boxer or WWE?’

“And then they started playing the montage and I struggled between having that heartwarming feeling and wanting to shed a little tear and then turning around, looking at her, and just flexing. She was actually pretty cool about it. She was a mature enough lady that she was nice about it and had respect for it, but she wasn’t crawling under the table right then like some girls would.”

Brown’s final appearance inside the Octagon came in May 2023 when he scored a first-round knockout against Cub Swanson at UFC on ABC 4.

Mike Brown

Overall, he went 24-19 in MMA with 17 of his wins coming under the UFC banner.

UFC veteran Matt Brown announces decision to retire from MMA: ‘I’m not doing it anymore. I’m out’

UFC veteran Matt Brown announces decision to retire from MMA I'm not doing it anymore I'm outVeteran welterweight mainstay and UFC veteran, Matt Brown has today announced his decision to retire from mixed martial arts…

UFC veteran Matt Brown announces decision to retire from MMA I'm not doing it anymore I'm out

Veteran welterweight mainstay and UFC veteran, Matt Brown has today announced his decision to retire from mixed martial arts on his official social media, thanking the promotion and organizational CEO, Dana White for the opportunity to compete inside the Octagon.

Brown, a native of Ohio, had been subject to much speculation regarding his fighting future recently, turning in a brutal first round KO win over fellow veteran, Court McGee back in May of last year at UFC Fight Night Charlotte, earning himself a Performance of the Night bonus.

Brown
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Calling time on is career boasting an impressive 29-19 professional record, spanning the course of 43 separate fights, with his knockout win over the previously mentioned, McGee, the Jamesville striker still boasts the record for most finishes via strikes in welterweight history, with 13 separate knockout successes.

Matt Browns confirms UFC retirement today

An alum of The Ultimate Fighter 7 – Brown today on his official social media, announced his decision to call time on his storied mixed martial arts.

Matt Brown

“Not doing it again,” Matt Brown posted on his official X account. “I’m out. That’s the announcement. My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world.”

“Thanks to @danawhite and @ufc for giving me a platform to express myself and my brand but it is time to move to bigger, better things,” Matt Brown posted. “I’ll talke about this on the podcast with @damonmartin and go even deeper when I start my own podcast that I’ve talked about starting for years now lol… Anyway, be prepared for new content and a new Immortal!”

“Check out link in bio on IG for the best martial arts instructionals, coffee, creatine gummies and Airbnb listings that I own!” Matt Brown posted. “There’s something there for everyone let’s do!”

Matt Brown

Competing in an official UFC welterweight title eliminator back in 2014 in a Fight Night main event in San Jose, Brown dropped a decision loss to former undisputed titleholder, Robbie Lawler.

Over the course of his storied professional career, Brown has turned in victories over the likes of Douglas Lima, Pete Sell, Stephen Thompson, Jordan Mein, Erick Silva, Tim Means, Diego Sanchez, and Ben Saunders to name a few. 

What’s your favorite memory from Matt Brown’s storied MMA career?