Matt Brown
He may be coming off a loss in what was a number one contender bout, but the fact Matt Brown was even in such a match is amazing given his early career results.
An alumnus of the Ultimate Fighter 7, Brown had mixed success in his early UFC fights before going 0-3 in 2010. A loss to Seth Baczynski at UFC 139 put Matt Brown’s MMA record at 12-11 and put his UFC career at risk, but he was given another chance to prove himself against Chris Cope at UFC 143.
It was a chance the ‘Immortal’ (a nickname given to him after he survived a drug overdose) embraced as he finished Cope in the second round. The win over Cope was the start of what would become a seven-fight win streak for the welterweight, with fighters like Mike Pyle, Mike Swick, Jordan Mein and Erick Silva among his scalps.
That led a number one contender match between Brown and Ruthless Robbie Lawler and while Brown lost the match via decision, his competitiveness throughout the fight further boosted his stock.
