Matt Brown, the UFC veteran recently announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA) after nearly 18 years in the sport. His decision came after a remarkable first-round knockout victory over Court McGee at UFC in May 2023. But what exactly pushed him to hang up his gloves?
Matt Brown’s Missed Opportunity
During an appearance on The MMA Hour, the 43-year-old fighter shared his perspective. Brown expressed interest in a bout against Jim Miller at UFC 300 and made every effort to make it happen. However, when the fight failed to materialize, he took it as a sign.
In his own words: “My mind was set on UFC 300, and I thought that I had all the pieces in place to make it happen. Jim Miller was talking about it, I was talking about it. I knew they were gonna get Jim Miller on the card…I was literally training for that fight, and then it didn’t happen…That was probably the final nail in the coffin [for retirement], where I was like, alright, nothing else really gets me that excited.”
Matt Brown says he got the "Performance of the Night bonus" after his career montage played while he was on a date.
▶️ https://t.co/MqWNmFK5HO #TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/zukhwRe3jM
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) May 15, 2024
Matt Brown also opened up about the emotional toll of retiring. He acknowledged that a part of him died when he officially announced his retirement. The adrenaline, admiration, and attention that fighters receive during their careers suddenly vanish.
As he put it: “A piece of you dies…That’s a gigantic piece of my identity…There’s certainly a huge ego component to it. All of the admiration, all the love, the attention that you get when you are going into a fight. You know, all that’s gonna be gone now…As much as it died, I killed it myself.”
Matt Brown leaves behind a legacy of exciting fights, memorable knockouts, and a warrior spirit. His decision to retire was bittersweet, but it’s clear that he’s ready for the next chapter in his life outside the octagon.
SHARE
