When it comes to fight week, Matt Brown is not a fan of the return trip home.
The idea of lugging his battered body through crowds of people, most of whom will be curiously staring at his potentially swollen and bruised face, is far from appealing - win or lose.
While it may be a tiresome experience, "The Immortal" won't have to worry about that this time around.
The longtime UFC welterweight is scheduled to meet Erick Silva in the main event of the UFC's first trip to Ohio since UFC 96 in 2009. As a native of the Buckeye State, Brown will have the luxury of being in his comfort zone throughout fight week.
Brown is generally indifferent about fighting on home turf, but did admit that he is looking forward to sleeping in his own bed for a change after the fight.
"It is all pretty much the same thing for me," Brown told Bloodyelbow.com. "The nice thing is that it makes it easier for my family to get to the fight but that adds a little bit of pressure for me to perform. It is always nice to go home, drive an hour or so and sleep in my own bed."
Another aspect of fighting at home that relieved Brown is the fact that he does not have to board a plane the following day. While most aspects of fight week center around the period before and during the fight, most fans don’t think about the difficulties fighters may face on their return trip home.
Brown revealed that he considers post-fight traveling the worst part of fight week, as nothing could compare to walking through the airport "all bloody and bruised up."
"I don't want to go to the airport and get on a flight. The next morning after fighting, being all bloody and bruised up. There is nothing worse than walking through the airport with a black eye, busted lip and limping with a hurt leg. That just sucks. Then you have to sit on a flight for hours - it is just a horrible thing.
"Before the fight you have focus, so anything can be dealt with one way or another. It is after a fight when it sucks. If you are fighting internationally, the worst part is after the fight."
Part two of the Matt Brown interview will be made available later this week.