UFC vet Matt Brown reveals plans for his Immortal Fighting Championship

Matt Brown has indicated that he's working toward creating a new combat sports organization, namely Immortal Fighting Championship. 

Going by the moniker "The Immortal," the fan-favorite former UFC star suggested that he intended to keep things under wraps but has now put forth some of his plans for the new striking-centric fighting league. 

MMA veteran Matt Brown forged an incredible legacy as one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC

Matt Brown made his professional MMA debut back in the year 2005, eventually making a mark on the UFC's TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) reality show, on its seventh season, back in 2008. The Ohio-born athlete made his UFC main roster debut the same year and extensively competed inside the Octagon till 2023. 

Forging a legacy as an elite combatant with high-level Muay Thai prowess and fearsome knockout power, he etched his name in the history books as the owner of the most KO/TKO wins (13) in the UFC welterweight division.

Brown last fought in the UFC against Court McGee, beating McGee via first-round KO in their clash in May 2023. The Ohioan announced his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts the following year. 

Matt Brown outlines his plans for striking-focused Immortal Fighting Championship

Taking to his official X handle, Matt Brown shed light on his goal to start a striking-based combat sports organization known as the Immortal Fighting Championship, seemingly drawing inspiration from his own fighter nickname. 

The 45-year-old appeared to suggest that his fighting league would solve the oft-discussed issues that plague most combat sports promotions, such as low fighter pay, gloves whose design doesn't prevent eye pokes, and much more. In a post, he notably wrote: 

"Haven't spoken out loud about this but behind the scenes I am personally working my a** off and putting 100% of my energy in to making this happen. Immortal Fighting Championship coming soon." 

Haven’t spoken out loud about this but behind the scenes I am personally working my ass off and putting 100% of my energy in to making this happen. Immortal Fighting Championship coming soon.

— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) September 24, 2026

Brown implied that his organization would ensure the use of well-designed gloves to minimize the possibility of eye pokes. It'll also, apparently, adhere to a Muay Thai-esque ruleset, but wouldn't exactly be categorized as Muay Thai. Clinching would be permitted, provided that the fighters are active in it and aren't stalling. 

Furthermore, Brown emphasized that he's "leaning towards" a ring rather than a cage, albeit the decision hasn't been finalized yet. The former UFC welterweight contender signaled that a large section of fight fans yearn to watch fighters engage in striking battles instead of grappling-heavy fights -- and striking is what his promotion would provide to them. 

Brown noted, "I didn't mean to announce it but I'm too excited. Making a lot of moves and Immortal Fighting Championship will be official soon. Striking only. No grappling. Muay Thai ruleset basically. Going to fix a lot of the problems you see in combat sports. Gloves, pay structure, etc." 

Check out the screenshots of a few X posts regarding the Immortal Fighting Championship by Matt Brown below: