Matt Brown will make his return to the Octagon after more than a year removed from his last appearance.
The longtime welterweight scrapper will make his 30th walk when he squares off with fellow UFC veteran Court McGee as part of an upcoming UFC Fight Night card on May 13. No location or venue has been announced for the event, but early reports suggest the card will take place within the familiar confines of the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
“Coming back, I’m going to smash some faces,” Brown told MMA Fighting in a recent interview. “Court, he’s a great guy, I’ve hung out with him before. Great competitor. We both have similar backgrounds in some respects. We both overdosed. He’s really embraced that. So I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy but I’m ready to go in there and smash his (expletive) face in with my elbow.”
Matt Brown will fight Court McGee at UFC event on May 13th. (first rep. @MMAFighting) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 pic.twitter.com/bcexRcWjZo
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) February 14, 2023
Matt Brown Specifically Chose Court McGee for His UFC Return
Matt Brown first debuted for the promotion in 2008 as part of The Ultimate Fighter season 7. Over the last 15 years, ‘The Immortal’ has earned notable victories over Tim Means, Dhiego Lima, Diego Sanchez, Mike Swick, and Stephen Thompson. Brown has had some difficulty getting into the win column in recent years. His last appearance in March 2022 saw him on the wrong side of a closely contested split decision with Bryan Barberena, though the contest did win Fight of the Night honors.
“With this specific one they offered me two guys,” Brown continued. “They offered me a younger guy and then they offered Court and they said basically you can pick whichever one and I went for Court. I kind of played that card this time and to be honest, I think the younger guy may have been an easier fight. But that was the card I played this time so we’ll see what happens.”
Like Brown, Court McGee first appeared with the promotion on The Ultimate Fighter in 2010. Unlike Brown, McGee won the tournament, defeating Kris McCray via second-round submission. McGee’s biggest win came in August 2013 when he scored a split decision win over perennial middleweight contender Robert Whittaker.
The UFC Fight Night event on May 13 is expected to be headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker.
