Miami — After ten years in the promotion, UFC 327 welterweight Randy Brown still feels as much up-and-comer as veteran.
Taking on Kevin Holland this Saturday, Brown (20-7) explained this week that “I feel a little bit of both. A little bit of both. Certain things and some aspects you feel like you’ve got it figured out, and you kind of just I don’t want to say go through the motions of Fight Week, but you just know what to expect and how to get things done, more efficiency as a veteran.”
“At the same time, as far as fighting, we’re still moving and grooving and moving through the ranks, doing what we need to do to evolve and beat the guys that we need to beat.”
Having fought pretty much every style of fighter there is during his time with the UFC, Brown probably isn’t going to be surprised by much. Yet as he explained this week, you never stop preparing for specific styles and opponents, though your own evolution as a fighter often comes outside of fight camp.
“The main evolution happens in between the fights. What are you doing in between, are you just chilling after? Or are you going and you putting in the work and you consistently staying around the gym and staying around the guys who are preparing for their bouts, and evolving with them? That’s the time when you evolve,” Brown suggested. “Not when you’re preparing for a specific style. So you still do both.”
In his UFC 327 opponent Holland, Brown is anticipating the “same old Kevin. That’s what I’m really expecting. Everyone’s been mentioning us fighting for years. That’s something that’s been floating around.” Brown noted that he called out Holland a few years ago, but says Holland was more interested in fighting veterans. Now, it seems to Brown that Holland is upset about the callout, despite him originally being cool about it. “I guess he feels some type of way about that. He needs something to get him up. I’m good with that.”
Of course, Holland is known for his trash talk. Brown recruited Phil Rowe to help replicate the motormouth. “He played a good Kevin Holland.”
Watch the full UFC 327 media day appearance by Randy Brown above.
