SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

Today we’re featuring a terrific interview with “The Immortal” Matt Brown. He has a long list of accolades, and we like to think his thoughtful take on the state of combat sports is among them—don’t worry, we list a lot of those amazing achievements right at the top of the show. Matt and John discussed a wide array of topics, and Matt’s unique insight into the fighter mind, gives a bird’s eye view of the complicated relationship between promoters and athletes. There’s more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going*

Episode 213 Outline

* How has retirement been for you? *16 years and 30 fights with the UFC, 9 performance bonuses, most KOs in UFC welterweight history and right behind Derrick Lewis for most KOs in UFC history proper, most finishes in UFC welterweight history, Bloody Elbow’s 2012 fighter of the year and 2017 KOTY vs. Diego Sanchez, two-time Sherdog all-violence team (and many more, but we’d need a lot more room to list them)

* Do you think Dana White is accurate in calling MMA an ‘opportunity’ and do you think you were able to take advantage of that opportunity fully?

* On your podcast with Damon Martin, you’ve talked about how the nature of fighting and the athletes it draws to its promotions makes it harder for fighters to be fully informed or easier to be taken advantage of. Is this something you think most outside pundits—fans or media—miss?

* Did you get your settlement check yet? Are you happy with the outcome of the Le case?

* What do you think the fighters’ reaction has been to the antitrust cases?

* Are you following the other cases and do you think other fighters are paying attention to them? Should they be?

* Do you find that some fans and fighters struggle with the idea that criticizing or disagreeing with some of the UFC’s actions doesn’t mean that you hate them?

* During the CSAC meeting, you mentioned that no one is looking out for the fighters? Could you elaborate on why you said that?

* What do you think looking out for the fighters would mean for managers or the athletic commissions?

* If there were some changes you could make to MMA, the UFC, or combat sports in general that you think would help fighters economically, and what would you change?

The Hey Not the Face! Podcast is an independent publication. Please consider a paid subscription to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support us. With all forms of news media crumbling, especially in the combat sports space, we could really use your help. Thank you. We appreciate all of you.

Thank you for checking out the Hey Not The Face! Podcast, a listener-supported publication. We’d be eternally grateful if you could help us by purchasing a subscription and spreading word of this episode by sharing it far and wide.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heynottheface.substack.com/subscribe