Retired fighter Matt Brown didn’t pull any punches when discussing the newly announced Professional Fighters League and Most Valuable Promotions merger, flat out stating that while he certainly thinks it’s a “smart thing” for the companies to do, they’re still stuck being “No. 2” to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This isn’t just a casual take, either, as Brown’s comments echo the dismissive remarks already made by UFC CEO Dana White about the entire situation.
The “No. 2” Problem and Dana White’s “Peasants”
Brown, speaking on “The Fighter vs. The Writer” podcast, didn’t shy away from calling it like he sees it. For him, PFL and MVP joining forces is a sensible business move, a way to “come together, join forces, try to build something big.” But the reality, according to “The Immortal,” is that they operate in a space where they will “still just going to be No. 2.” He’s completely on board with White’s earlier comments, where the UFC boss essentially dismissed the merger as any real threat. Brown paraphrased White’s sentiment, saying he agrees with the idea that the UFC is “competing with major leagues and sh*t,” and they’re “not worried about what these peasants are doing.” That’s a pretty savage assessment, but Brown thinks White is “totally right” in that observation.
“A D*ck-Swinging Contest” and What Fighters Really Want
Brown makes it crystal clear that he believes competing head-on with the UFC is a futile effort for the merged entity. While he acknowledges the merger could bring a lot of good, like potentially more money and raising overall pay standards in the industry, he emphasized that trying to “outspend or try to get better fighters” simply won’t work. He didn’t mince words, calling the PFL and MVP’s efforts a “d*ck-swinging contest” and brutally adding, “it’s like you’ve got a f*cking limp d*ck over here.” Ouch. Brown thinks they’d be way better off establishing their own identity instead of directly challenging the industry leader. Why? Because most fighters, he says, want to fight on the absolute biggest stage, money almost secondary. He guarantees “99.9% of fighters would go fight f*cking Jon Jones for $1,000 rather than f*cking some PFL guy for $50,000.” That’s a massive statement about where priorities lie in the fight game.
So, the PFL-MVP merger might be a smart play for those companies, but if Matt Brown’s take is anything to go by, they’ve got a long, long road ahead to even be considered a blip on the UFC’s radar. The question now is, will the newly formed promotion actually try to carve out its own path, or will they keep trying to swing with the big dogs?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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