Matt Brown vs. Brazil
Matt Brown vs. Brazil
When you mix Matt Brown’s love for fighting with Brazil’s unbridled passion for fighting, the odds are high for chaos to unfold.This past weekend at UFC 198
When you mix Matt Brown’s love for fighting with Brazil’s unbridled passion for fighting, the odds are high for chaos to unfold.
This past weekend at UFC 198, “The Immortal” stepped in against the biggest challenge of his career to date—at least, from a stylistic standpoint—when he faced submission ace Demian Maia. Brown’s hard-charging striking elevated him to the ranks of the divisional elite, but his ground fighting is the area of his game that has given him fits.
That's why a bout against a Maia, a jiu-jitsu wizard, seemed a dangerous roll of the dice. But Brown has never been one to travel the easiest route. The Ultimate Fighter alum went down to Brazil fired up to prove his critics wrong and silence a rowdy fanbase in the process. Brown knew the hardcore Brazilians would be calling for his head at every turn, and met their aggression with his own on the road to fight night.
The environment at pre-fight weigh-ins turned downright hostile as Brown handed out the double-bird salute, which ratcheted up tempers all across Curitiba. By the time Brown walked to the Octagon to face Maia, the tension between him and the Brazilian crowd reached a boiling point.
Despite making his entrance amid an entourage of security agents, Brown was struck no less than three times on his way to the cage, and each blow was captured on the live broadcast. The first two shots clearly riled Brown, but the third fan received something in exchange as the Ohio native returned the gesture in the form of a right hand.
Related: Matt Brown is the heavy-metal samurai of the welterweight division
It was a hectic scene to say the least—one that previous antagonists of the Brazilian masses such as Chael Sonnen and Conor McGregor managed to avoid. Although Brown was submitted by Maia shortly after, he clearly set the stage for future rivalries with the Brazilian contingent.
The UFC makes several trips a year to the land widely considered the birthplace of MMA, and it would be a missed opportunity if Brown wasn’t at least on a few of those cards. The venue would need to beef up security measures, but the back-and-forth between Brown and fight-frenzied Brazilians would provide drama worth watching.
This past weekend at UFC 198, “The Immortal” stepped in against the biggest challenge of his career to date—at least, from a stylistic standpoint—when he faced submission ace Demian Maia. Brown’s hard-charging striking elevated him to the ranks of the divisional elite, but his ground fighting is the area of his game that has given him fits.
That's why a bout against a Maia, a jiu-jitsu wizard, seemed a dangerous roll of the dice. But Brown has never been one to travel the easiest route. The Ultimate Fighter alum went down to Brazil fired up to prove his critics wrong and silence a rowdy fanbase in the process. Brown knew the hardcore Brazilians would be calling for his head at every turn, and met their aggression with his own on the road to fight night.
The environment at pre-fight weigh-ins turned downright hostile as Brown handed out the double-bird salute, which ratcheted up tempers all across Curitiba. By the time Brown walked to the Octagon to face Maia, the tension between him and the Brazilian crowd reached a boiling point.
Despite making his entrance amid an entourage of security agents, Brown was struck no less than three times on his way to the cage, and each blow was captured on the live broadcast. The first two shots clearly riled Brown, but the third fan received something in exchange as the Ohio native returned the gesture in the form of a right hand.
Related: Matt Brown is the heavy-metal samurai of the welterweight division
It was a hectic scene to say the least—one that previous antagonists of the Brazilian masses such as Chael Sonnen and Conor McGregor managed to avoid. Although Brown was submitted by Maia shortly after, he clearly set the stage for future rivalries with the Brazilian contingent.
The UFC makes several trips a year to the land widely considered the birthplace of MMA, and it would be a missed opportunity if Brown wasn’t at least on a few of those cards. The venue would need to beef up security measures, but the back-and-forth between Brown and fight-frenzied Brazilians would provide drama worth watching.