Fighter of the Month: April 2013 – Matt Brown
By Christopher Jester
Fighter of the Month: Matt “The Immortal” Brown
Event: UFC on FOX 7 (April 20, 2013)
Opponent: Jordan Mein
Result: TKO – Punches & Elbows (1:00 of Round 2)
In what turned out to be a very exciting month in combat sports, it was the UFC that reigned heavy with an astounding four events with exhilarating and memorable fights. Even in a month where champions like the UFC’s Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and UFC’s Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson defended their titles, sometimes it takes a little bit more than exciting knockouts or hard-fought debatable decisions that make a fighter. Sometimes it is about what a man can do when his back is against the wall, with the only thing he has left is his heart and a never quit attitude. This is the sort of characteristic that Matt “The Immortal” Brown showed in his UFC on Fox 7 fight against Jordan Mein.
Already on a comeback run in his career, Matt Brown came into this fight riding a four-fight win streak but he matched up against a highly-touted prospect in Jordan Mein. Mein, who had just came off a victory over Dan Miller, was looking to stop Brown’s resurgence. The bout was competitive in the first round with Matt Brown as the main aggressor. However, Mein stayed in the fight and helped his cause with a late round takedown where he performed solidly on offense with punches from the top.
Recuperating quickly for the second, it took “The Immortal” Matt Brown only several seconds before he was back on the attack with knees from the clinch that dropped Mein. Punches and elbows followed in a thrilling fight that earned Matt Brown his fifth straight victory. The only thing this fight lacked was an epic storyline or some drama akin to Jon Jones’ title defense against Chael Sonnen. What it had plenty of though was a great performance from Matt Brown who took his best to a game Jordan Mein.
PunchDrunkGamer would like to award Matt Brown our Fighter of the Month for April. Congrats on an electrifying victory and good luck in your endeavors!
Runner-Ups:
1. Josh Thomson (UFC On Fox 7 – April 20, 2013) – When you’re so confident in your technique that you keep leaving yourself open for head kicks, eventually one of them is going to hurt you. This is exactly what happened to Thomson’s opponent Nate Diaz. Thomson stayed rangy and kept away from Diaz’s bread-and-butter, his boxing, and kept landing head kicks throughout the fight. Diaz can say whatever he wants about Thomson making “lady sounds”, but it was Thomson who scored the stoppage just as Diaz’s corner was throwing in the towel. It also marked the first time Diaz had been stopped by strikes in his career.
2. Pat Curran (Bellator 95, April 4, 2013) – It seems like people have forgot that Bellator was actually in action this month with all the UFC buzz. For those who missed it, Pat Curran showed just why he is one of the best featherweights in the world when he defended his title against Shahbulat Shamhalaev. He outclassed Shamhalaev and it took him only two minutes and thirty-eight seconds to do it when he cinched a remarkable guillotine choke to defend his title for the second time.
3. Jon Jones (UFC 159 – April 27, 2013) – Who hurt Jon Jones more in this fight? Chael Sonnen, Jones’s broken toe, or himself when he forgot to get a pedicure? All kidding aside, whether his toe suffered a compound fracture or a dislocation, Jon Jones proved why there are now talks that he should be considered for the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts. Jones took no time to out-wrestle and outshine Chael Sonnen. It took just a few punches and elbows at the tail-end of the first round that helped Jones tie Tito Ortiz’s record for most title defenses in the Light-Heavyweight division.
4. Rose Namajunas (Invicta FC 5 – April 5, 2013) – Forget about comeback victories i.e. Cat Zingano or Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos’s outmatching Fiona Muxlow, Rose Namajunas was the highlight of Women’s Mixed Martial Arts in the month of April. Namjunas rocked Kathina Catron as soon as she was allowed to strike and clinched up an amazing flying armbar for the victory at only 12 seconds of the first round.
5. Chad Mendes (UFC On Fox 7 – April 20, 2013) – No one appears to want a rematch with Jose Aldo more than Chad Mendes. He has been a man on a mission since his only career lost to the reigning UFC Featherweight champion. He had a tough and burly opponent in Darren Elkins, but Mendes knockout streak continued when he landed a perfect right hook to turn off the lights for Elkins. The victory only pushed him closer to that rematch in a crowded division.
Notable Mentions: This month was so impressive there were 21 fighters who were in the running for Fighter of the Month at PunchDrunkGamer. Here are just a few of the notable mentions and their accomplishments. Yoel Romero who starched Clifford Starks with a flying knee. Despite the controversial and debatable decision, Benson Henderson defended his UFC Lightweight title for a third time. Pat Healy who defeated New Jersey hometown hero Jim Miller. With revenge on his mind, Shinya Aoki stopped Kotetsu Boku with a rear-naked choke. Cat Zingano survived what would have been a losing decision to Miesha Tate and came back with a roaring victory by TKO. Cyborg Santos who made a successful return to stop Fiona Muxlow and Kelvin Gastellum who derailed the hype train of Uriah Hall to become the Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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