Athletes
Matt Brown: More Than Just An Anytime, Anywhere Fighter
More Than Just 'All Fighter, All The Time,' Matt Brown's Gritty UFC Career Has Paralleled His Development As A Father And Family Man
If there was anyone who could be described as all fighter, all the time, it was Matt Brown. Key word, was.
Then again, that was the impression given off by someone known as much for his stone-faced intensity as for the hands, elbows, fists and feet that put him one knockout win away from tying Derrick Lewis for most KOs in UFC history.
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But through it all, Brown has been a family man, a father, an impressively proficient guitarist, and a writer. I hear he produces a pretty damn good cup of coffee, as well. It’s only been recently, though, that we’ve seen the other sides of “The Immortal.”
Highlight: Matt Brown's "Right Hand From Hell" KO | UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs Ige
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Highlight: Matt Brown's "Right Hand From Hell" KO | UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs Ige
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“I just never really put anything out there,” said Brown. “There's a lot of things I do all the time that I guess I just don't put out there. I've always been more of a private person and I think what you’re really seeing is just me opening up to the world a little more. And that's a tough thing for me to do because I'm very introverted and quiet and keep to myself.”
That introverted personality can even scare people, going all the way back to his time on The Ultimate Fighter in 2008. And while he’s letting more people in these days, the old Matt Brown is still there when necessary.
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“I have to be kind of careful with it because once you open the door, people walk in and start trying to take that for granted or exploit it. Like you said, I'm a nice guy, I don't have any ill will towards anyone.
"I think what a lot of people don't understand is I'm trying to keep to myself. And they take that as standoffish being that I'm a f**king warrior, but it’s just who I am. I guess that what they see is that I do have that switch in me. I'll flip the switch and if that's what’s called for at a moment in time, then I'll f**king do it right now.”
Silence. Then we laugh, because though I will have to kill the stereotype and reveal that Brown is one of the good guys in the sport and always has been, yeah, when it’s game time, it’s on.
“I probably was a scary guy because I didn't really have a switch back in the day,” he said. “I was in warrior mode 24/7, and I wanted to fight every single person that I saw. And actually, I think it kind of threw me off a little bit that not everybody in the world is a fighter. (Laughs)
"I wasn't really that exposed to the world growing up. But then once you have kids and family and start dealing with the real world, the kids, more than anything, just calm me down. And so I learned how to turn that into a switch where I can turn it on and off.”
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It's this development as a fighter and a human being that Brown covers in his “Immortal Weekly Wisdom” newsletter. Unlike many substacks which are three paragraphs and ten plugs, Brown has gone all-in when it comes to sharing his knowledge and experience with the world. And it’s refreshing.
“I enjoy it,” he said. “I've actually written for a long time, just small pieces; it's just a matter of actually getting it done and putting it out there that’s the hard part. But I actually write fairly regularly. It's a different vibe when you can write something down. I can think through the thoughts a little more clearly and actually piece things out in a fashion that makes sense, whereas sometimes when you're speaking, you kind of just go through the motions.”
Add in the guitar riffs he shows off on social media, and while he’s letting the rest of the world in, more importantly, he’s setting an example to his three kids of how to be well-rounded people.
“I'm in the business of raising adults,” Brown said. “I don’t have any intention of forcing my kids or manipulating them to take after me or anything; I'm in the business of teaching them to be strong, disciplined and well-rounded. That's the only thing I think about. There are so much more important things than ‘Are you going to be a fighter’ or are you going to be this or that. I think if you lay the proper foundation, their lives will turn out well, regardless of what they choose to be.”
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Yeah, Matt Brown is all right. He’s also in Charlotte to get into a fistfight with Court McGee on Saturday, which means his game face is locked on. And though there have been moments over the last few years when you wondered if the 42-year-old was ready to call it a day, as of late, he seems to be all-in again. Is that accurate?
“I think just about every fight I'm like, ‘This might be it,” he laughs. “Some of my best fights were like, ‘Dude, I don't know if I can do this again.’ It’s just because you pushed so hard. But I said I'm going to do this until the wheels fall off, and I'm guess I'm living up to that. I'm manifesting that prophecy, but yeah, I'm just enjoying it. I don't know what it is, but this camp has been a lot more fun than usual. I’ve been taking a more fun approach to it and just enjoying things. I just really enjoy it, and I haven't found anything that gets me off the way the fighting does.”
UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Almeida took place live from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on May 13, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
