Matt Brown explains why he was so willing to soldier on and fight despite risk of coronavirus

Matt Brown, photo cred: Esther Lin/Sportsfile

Before the UFC made the decision to cancel the next three cards on their schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic, Matt Brown had every intention of fighting in an empty arena in the middle of a Native American reservation on March 28.

Brown was originally scheduled to face Miguel Baeza at the UFC on ESPN 8 card that was supposed to happen in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. The fight was then moved after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued an order banning all mass gatherings over 100 people in the state.

Along with upcoming cards on March 21 and April 11, the promotion scrambled to find a new venue to hold the events with UFC president Dana White later revealing that they had actually secured the Fire Lake Arena in Oklahoma as a landing spot for the fights. That all changed when President Donald Trump issued recommendations to avoid all gatherings with more than 10 people for at least the next 15 days.

Regardless of the pandemic, Brown was absolutely ready to compete but the reason why he was willing to fight, no matter the risk, goes far beyond the paycheck he was slated to earn.

“Everybody talks about making a living and that being part of it and that’s our job but realistically that’s who we are,” Brown explained when speaking too MMA Fighting. “That’s our identity. That’s how we live our lives. That’s the vast majority of us.

“When you take that away from us, you’re taking away a part of our personal identities.”

Of course financial constraints have to be considered because fighters who don’t compete, don’t get paid. That said, Brown has never allowed money to be the driving force behind his dedication to the sport and that’s not going to change because of the current climate due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“I tell everybody — even if I had a billion dollars, I would still go in that gym everyday,” Brown said. “I wouldn’t change my life. If I had zero dollars, I would still walk in that gym everyday. I wouldn’t change what I do.

“That’s literally who I am as a human being. The show, when we go fight, that’s the expression and that’s what we want to do with ourselves.”

Obviously, fighters aren’t alone when dealing with this interruption as athletes from around the globe are currently stuck on hiatus. In the United States, the NBA and NHL suspended play due to the spread of the disease with Major League Soccer delaying the start of their season as the numbers of infected grow on a daily basis.

Brown sympathizes with everybody facing adversity because of the pandemic but he feels like fighters have a slightly different mentality when it comes to these cancellations and delays.

“I think as fighters we get so focused on that date. There’s nothing that’s going to stop us. That’s what our mind is on that,” Brown explained. “If your mind is on a date for so long and a person you’re going to compete against for so long, you’re not going to change that. Even in times where I’ve had to pull out for injury, it feels very strange for a few days. Because your mind is still on that date and that opponent. It’s almost like a rehab period where it’s like this is real?

“To some extent, that’s your identity. That’s what you do. That’s what you want to do with your life. That’s what you chose to do. I’m sure the basketball players feel that right now. They live to play that game. What we do is a way more serious game. We take it more seriously. We live this lifestyle.”

When it comes to the tough decisions being made right now in hopes of slowing down the spread of the coronavirus, Brown understands there are no easy answers.

In his case, the Ohio native is being hit on multiple sides because not only has the pandemic stopped the upcoming UFC schedule but his gym, Immortal Martial Arts, has been also been impacted.

He’s just trying to take everything day by day in hopes that he can get back to business sooner rather than later.

“Obviously, this is a once in history, once in mankind situation,” Brown said. “A lot of people are saying you should do this, but I don’t think there’s one right answer. It’s all speculation and we’re guessing what’s right. I think we’re playing the ‘it’s better safe than sorry’ side, which I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think some people are having kneejerk reactions.

“The way I’m looking at it, there’s not really a right answer. It may be getting to the point where there is a right answer because it seems to be spreading so quickly. Right now, I’m not convinced there’s a perfect way to approach this.”