Win, lose, or draw UFC welterweight Matt Brown is one of the most game fighters in the UFC. He is down to fight anyone, anytime, anywhere, and you have to damn near kill him to stop him. 
 
Brown will step into the Octagon again on December 10 on the stacked UFC 206 card in Toronto. In a recent fight card addition that can only be seen as an early Christmas present from the MMA gods, Brown will take on Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in a scrap that has "Fight of the Year" potential written all over it.

Originally scheduled to take on UFC contender and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine at UFC 207 in late December, Brown jumped at the chance to duke it out with Cerrone in a more high-profile fight a few weeks earlier on the calendar. Although Brown is excited to fight Cerrone, he feels Saffiedine would be a bigger threat inside the Octagon.

"Saffiedine isn't as big of a name, but I think he is a better fighter." Brown said. "Now I have an easier fight with a lesser opponent. With Cowboy I think a lot of people are afraid of him. He isn't as good as advertised. He puts on the persona, but behind closed doors he is a different person. He is overrated. People like him based on his personality. Personality isn't going to mean anything when I punch him in the face. I am going to expose him on December 10th. I am going to go in there and put a beating on him."

Brown reached out to UFC brass and offered his services as a last-minute replacement for Kelvin Gastelum after yet another weight cut and weigh-in mishap that left Cerrone without an opponent on the biggest fight card in the company's history at UFC 205 in New York earlier this month.  

"When Gastelum missed weight at UFC 205, I sent Dana a text." Brown said. "I said 'Fly me out tonight. I will make weight by midnight and fight Cowboy tomorrow.' The commission wouldn't allow that. I think he forgot I was fighting Saffiedine on the 30th, because he said 'Why don't you just fight Cowboy on the 10th?' It's a bigger fight for me, so I decided to go for it."


Photo Credit: © David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports

Brown has seen more than his fair share of ups and downs throughout his time in the sport. With an overall record just north of .500, Brown is coming off the first TKO loss of his career, suffered at the heavy hands and feet of Jake Ellenberger at UFC 201 in July. That harsh reality coupled with the fact that he has lost four out of his past five inside the Octagon would have most fighters concerned about their future with the organization.

But Brown has been on the hot seat before.

"I feel great." Brown said. "I am getting over some injuries, and I am finally coming around. You can look on paper and see where I lost a few lately. The past isn't always a predictor of the future, and I plan on turning that around."

A new danger that does have Brown's full attention is that of a potential life-changing head injury due to the effects of his first documented concussion. Brown worked through a number of concerning moments in the recovery process, including needing to sit in a pitch-dark room for over a week. There were also times when he couldn't finish sentences and many occasions when he would stand up and immediately fall back down. 

The injury and its potential long-term effects hit him hard.

"The concussion wasn't from the Ellenberger fight." Brown said. "I am recovered from that. Injures come and go. You get them all the time. The brain isn't something to play around with. It's not disposable. If you cut off my hand I could still live a happy life. Not so with your brain, of course. That's a top priority for living a good life in general. It was a rude awakening for me."