“The Immortal” will live on, but Matt Brown will no longer be an active fighter.
On Saturday, hours out from UFC 301 in Brazil, Brown, long a fan-favorite welterweight known for his elbows and violent finishes, announced his retirement.
“Not doing it again. I’m out. That’s the announcement,” Brown wrote in a brief statement issued on social media. “My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world.”
Brown, 43, had not fought since a May 2023 win over Ultimate Fighter winner Court McGee. He was 2-1 across his last three fights. “The Immortal” did not shed any light into the reasons behind his decision to retire – but it brings about the end to a run in pro fighting that began in 2005.
In 2008, Brown would join the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 7, winning his first two bouts before being submitted by Amir Sadollah. He would appear on the show’s finale regardless, picking up a TKO win over Matt Arroyo; Brown stacked up a 4-1 record in his first five UFC fights, with all four wins coming via stoppage.
While he would never fight for the promotion’s welterweight title, Brown would cap off a four-fight bonus-winning streak in a title eliminator against Robbie Lawler in 2014. Brown would lose a unanimous decision in a Fight of the Night effort, snapping a seven-fight win streak that included victories over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, Mike Swick, Erick Silva and others.
Ohio’s Brown ends his career on another bonus-winning streak, having picked up two Performance of the Night bonuses and a Fight of the Night across his last three bouts. His overall record in MMA stands at 24-19, with 17 wins inside the UFC octagon.
Outside of MMA, Matt Brown has also launched Immortal Coffee, his own coffee line.
