Matt Brown is set to face “Young Guns” Jordan Mein this Saturday at UFC on FOX 7 in San Jose, California. It was supposed to be Dan Hardy facing “The Immortal” Brown, but unfortunately that fight didn’t materialize due to Hardy not getting medical clearance for what doctors are calling Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, which is a long way of saying he has a heart problem. It appeared Brown, who is looking for his fifth win a row, was going to need a new dance partner.
Jordan Mein didn’t have anything better to do, so although he had just fought and stopped Dan Miller at UFC 158 last March, the twenty-three-year-old blue chip prospect was willing to take a crack at Brown on short notice. There is no doubt that the soft spoken, Ohio native, appreciates and respects Mein for stepping up, especially when some guys would consider it crazy to take on a tough opponent like Brown on only a months notice.
“He’s in there just trying to make a name for himself, we’re all just trying to fight everybody and build ourselves up,” Brown told MMASucka.com. “I don’t think it’s crazy on his part, but it might be a mistake on his part.”
The man they call “The Immortal” has found himself in a funny position in the welterweight division. If he can beat Mein, it would be his fifth win in a row and maybe, just maybe, those victories will speak louder than words. It seems that over the last year, guys like Chael Sonnen and Nick Diaz have done masterful jobs of talking their way into title fights, yet it is not something Brown feels he needs to do.
“I know you definitely can get noticed with a lot of talking,” said Brown “I’m just a normal person and I love fighting. I’m not going to sell my soul for a few extra bucks.”
There was a time where a few extra bucks would have gone along way. Like many pro fighters, Matt Brown has lived through some tough financial times. Many people who watch the sport see the glitz and glamour of the UFC, but forget that some of the gladiators that compete in the cage are just trying to make a living and get by. For Brown, his success has been earned with blood, sweat and tears because nothing has ever been handed to him while paying his dues.
There are a lot of young tough guys and gals registering at their local MMA gyms all wanting a shot at the fame and glory that the Octagon can provide. Jordan Mein was one of those kids that started at a young age and was bred for this sport. There is a new generation of fighter that is ushering in a new era. So when younger fighters at the JG MMA and Fitness Academy in Cincinnati, come up to Brown for advice on if they should become a professional fighter, The Immortal’s response is complete and utter honesty.
“A fighting career is cool to have as a goal, but if you’re not working a regular job and you’re not supporting yourself and making a good life for yourself then chasing some dream of making a career out of UFC may or may not happen,” said Brown. “You may have the talent for that to happen, but you’re kind of doing yourself a disservice if you’re not getting an education or setting yourself up for a regular job.”
That’s right, stay in school kids. Matt Brown is not going to be coming to any high school career day to lecture you on the benefits of being a professional cage fighter. Not only that, if you have a child or two, and think that you are going to make it as a pro, Brown has another life lesson to share.
“If you’ve got kids…don’t do it! I didn’t have kids until after I was in the UFC and had decent money and stuff. It’s the hardest thing ever and I feel like I’m doing my kids a disservice all the time,” Brown explained. “If I had just gotten into the UFC and had kids, I wouldn’t be doing this. I wasn’t making enough money to support my family until recently, so I wouldn’t even have messed with it. The UFC is a tough sport, so I’m one of those guys that didn’t follow the advice that I’m giving right now. I don’t have a backup plan or a college degree, how am I going to feed my kids if I get cut?”
Brown is not the only guy out there that may find himself in an awkward predicament if the fighting career were to ever come to an abrupt end. Sometimes it takes a dose of reality like losing a few fights in a row to make a man realize what is actually on the line and what is truly important.
“There are a lot of things that I’ve been working on the past couple of years. Ever since I’ve been on that three-fight losing streak it’s been on my mind more. What am I going to do if I tear my ACL or break my neck and I can’t fight anymore?,” Brown asked. “Before I was irresponsible, it didn’t even cross my mind to lose a fight and not be in the UFC. That’s why I say all that advice now, I’ve been through all that and I see how easily and quickly things can go from top to bottom. I dodged a bullet and learned my lesson. So I’ve got a lot of things I’m working on now to make sure that whether I’m in the UFC or not, I have a backup plan.”
For now, the only plan for Brown is to continue winning. There is no better way to guarantee job security in this sport than with a good ol’ fashion win. Many have applauded Matt on where he is in life and where he has had to come from to get here. From financial struggles, drug abuse, to being a full time dad, husband and one of the toughest guys in the sport, Brown has had to fight for everything he has got. Matt The Immortal’s style of always moving forward, taking it on the granite chin, and never giving up, has extended far past the UFC cage. It’s the way he lives his life.
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You can listen to Trevor on MMASucka Radio heard weekly on MMASucka.com and Sportsnet.ca. Follow him on Twitter @tdueckMMA
