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It's been said that every person is born with a purpose. If that's true, Matt Brown was born to fight.

Although physical conflict eventually became his profession, the Ohio native fought internal battles during his formative years. Brown waged war against himself through various avenues, and when self-affliction wasn’t enough, he looked for whatever ruckus could be found elsewhere.

While the UFC welterweight contender now identifies his troublesome past without hesitation, it took him nearly three decades to understand the purpose of the path he traveled. It wasn’t trouble that “The Immortal” was looking for (at least not always), but direction on the journey ahead.

“A lot of people go through their lives and kind of just glide above the surface, but I’m the type of guy who wants to keep diving under the water because I want to see what’s down there,” Brown said. “I always want to go deeper and adult life has probably brought that out of me more than anyone else.

Brown’s ascension in the welterweight division elevated his profile, but the growth of his family broadened and heightened his frame of mind. No longer was he a rugged lone wolf throwing caution to the wind; instead, he became a father, provider and teacher for his children.

“When my kids are six or seven years old, they are going to start asking questions like, ‘Dad, you punch people in the face for a living. Why do you do that?' And I have to have an answer for that,” Brown said. “I can’t tell them it’s just to make money because then I’m teaching them wrong in that sense. They teach me plenty as well, but mostly how to have that beginner’s mind.

“When you drop what you think you know and embrace the learning experience, that’s when you grow. The old saying is that knowledge is power, but I actually think it’s a weakness. Knowledge destroys you. Knowledge is corrupt and makes you think you know sh*t. It creates pride, and that’s a hinderance."

Brown won’t say he’s changed, but definitely acknowledges the shift that occurred in his life. He believes he’s still the same person he’s always been, but his ability to embrace the experiences he’s endured has expanded his consciousness.

“I don’t buy into the idea of changing at all,” Brown said. “I believe in evolving. You see every New Year how people around you are talking about what they are going to change and they are constantly talking about trying to find themselves. They are all about making dramatic changes in their lives and I think that’s bullsh*t. I feel I’ve actually never changed who I am, but I’ve evolved plenty.

“It’s not about finding yourself, it’s about defining yourself. I’ve always just kept moving forward. I’m still the same person I was 15 years ago when I was addicted to drugs and f****** my life up one step at a time. I’m the same person that was living on that edge where you could fall off and die at any moment. I’m still that same person, but I’ve evolved, and I’ve embraced all of those weaknesses and negatives and turned them into positives. “

Even though Brown may accept the tenets of the warrior mindset, it doesn’t take away from the fact he still loves to throw hands with other game combatants.

Brown’s fighting reveals his Midwestern roots. If there isn’t some blood at the end of a day’s work, then the job most likely wasn’t done correctly. He prefers his altercations inside the cage the way he likes his heavy metal music—violent and relentless.

“I’ve always liked to fight, but that’s just who I am,” Brown said. “The big difference between fighting some asshole in a parking lot and what I do now is the mindset and approach I take to everything in my life. Everything is about learning and absorbing to me now, where I used to not give a sh*t about anything. I’ve learned to embrace the struggle and hardships because that’s where you truly grow. I honestly welcome the obstacles now.”

Brown's fights hardly ever include a feeling-out process, and his willingness to get after it has made him a fan favorite. His straightforward approach to the scrap is all he’s ever known, and it’s not a gear he’s interested in shifting anytime soon.

“If you get in there with me, I’m coming after you,” Brown said. “I’m going to bring my best so you better bring yours. I fight the same way I live my life, and that’s always moving forward, and when you do that you’re going to take some shots, but if you’re mentally strong you’re going to be standing right there firing back some of your own. That’s what I do, but that’s the way I’ve always been. I’m just a better version of myself, and that’s what I aim for every day of my life.”

Brown faced a collection of elite talent in recent years, and won all but two of his past 10 showings inside the Octagon. During this stretch, the 35-year-old welterweight solidified himself as a major player in the talent-stacked 170-pound fold, but setbacks have prevented him from getting into title contention.

Nevertheless, it’s all about the challenge for Brown, and his fixation on the path of most resistance was the catalyst for his upcoming bout against Demian Maia.

“I look for the challenge that will bring out the best in me and I think this upcoming fight is the perfect example,” Brown said. “[The UFC] offered me other opponents. I received a text with three names on it and I sat back and did my best not to look at the names, instead I thought about how much of a challenge each person would be for me. Demian Maia was by far the largest one.

“I used the metaphor of him being a mountain. I could have climb the ones that were the same size, but I’m that sumb*tch who is going to pick the biggest and most dangerous one and go for it. I’ll do that every single time. I won’t shy away from it or even think twice about it. You give me that big mountain, I’m going to attack it.”

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace is arguably the most prolific grappler to ever compete inside the Octagon, which is the one aspect of his game that has proven to be a chink in his armor. Most with Brown’s track record would steer far away from a fighter with Maia's skills, but the Team Elevation fighter isn’t like most people.

He sees the incredible amount of danger the former middleweight title challenger represents, and Brown is ecstatic to dive right into the proverbial fire.

“When you look at Demain Maia stylistically and my career historically it’s clear he is the worst matchup for me,” Brown said. “I want to turn that weakness into a strength where he becomes the best matchup for me and that’s not an easy thing to do. He’s a master at his craft and his craft is jiu-jitsu. Unfortunately for him, he’s only a master in that area, where I’m a master at everything else.

“I want to scale that mountain, and then I’ll get onto the next one. This one has one really steep cliff I have to get over and a lot of people have fallen into that crevice and gotten f***** up for their troubles. Maia has a lot of tricks to get you where he wants you, but I like that challenge. Demain is f******* good at jiu-jitsu and I’m f****** good at everything else so he’s going to get f***** up for trying to do jiu-jitsu in this fight. That’s how I see it.”

After more than a decade of going toe-to-toe with other human beings inside the cage, Brown is keen to the reality his days in competition will not last forever. But like a great guitar riff can be timeless, or a passage of prose can endure a changing world, Brown hopes his time battling under the bright lights will leave something fans can appreciate for years to come.

“If you fast forward 110 years from now there isn’t a single person living on this Earth that will still be around so what are you going to do to make your mark?” Brown said. “What are you going to leave behind for your brothers and your children? What is going to make you immortal, and that is part of the concept behind the tattoo. I want to do something that will last forever.”