Top Turtle MMA: Matt Brown Not Sold On Retirement
Top Turtle MMA: Matt Brown Not Sold On Retirement
UFC welterweight staple Matt Brown addressed the matters that would lead him to retire or return after UFC Fight Night 120.
Matt “The Immortal” Brown took to Twitter a few months back to announce he would end his career after his 37th professional fight. On Saturday, the resilient welterweight will square off with Diego Sanchez in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 120 in Norfolk, VA, for that final effort.
Brown has claimed this will be his last fight, but in his recent interview with FloCombat’s Top Turtle MMA Podcast, "The Ultimate Fighter" alum didn't seem quite sold on the matter.
“I guess originally when I announced [my retirement], it was pretty much a final decision. [But] I look at it like I still have a lot more to do. I’m not really content with everything that I’ve done,” Brown says when asked about his past accomplishments.
While his wars with Robbie Lawler, Stephen Thompson, and Johny Hendricks would be hallmark moments for any fighter's career, Brown sees more to it.
“When you’re on the outside looking in, it’s easy to look at that stuff. When you’re on the inside, it doesn’t feel like I’ve done anything,” he admits.
And it’s this fact that leads to doubts over whether this will actually be Brown's last fight.
“In a perfect world, I’m able to retire and the decision can be made based on whether I want to or not,” he says with a sigh. “The reality is there may just be more to it than that. I may come back to fight just because I want to fight.”
He also notes that although his love for fighting might be what draws him back, Brown recognizes the chance that other, less fortunate factors are typically what bring retired fighters back.
“I may come back to fight for money, which is really what I want to avoid. I don’t want to come back to fight for money,” Brown says. “I want to pursue other things, and if I come back to fight, I want it to be because I’m looking for a championship — pursuing great things.”
The weight of this decision though, is not heavy on the mind of Brown. His focus is locked on what is immediately ahead of him, a date this weekend with Sanchez.
“I’m not thinking about November 12 or what I’m going to do after this fight. I’m 100 percent focused on this fight,” Brown says. “We’ll see how everything plays out on November 12, but for now it’s November 11.”