Earlier this week, UFC welterweight veteran Matt Brown made some controversial comments regarding suicide.
After losing his second straight fight to Jake Ellenberger at UFC 201, the 35-year-old compared himself to Ronda Rousey and implied that he felt suicidal on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.
Brown, who is considered one of the most exciting fighters in the welterweight division, cleared things up on social media and said he should have never made those comments in the first place. The Ohio-born fighter says he is absolutely not suicidal in any way.
“Ok let's clear up these headlines/click bait. First off, I should have never even mentioned suicide as it is a very serious issue for people and I'll never truly relate to those folks. Second off, if you read the whole thing I cleared it up in the second paragraph here that I was simply using it as an expression. All fighters feel that low after a loss, especially after a devastating loss like I had with Ellenberger. I am a believer that losses are simply transitory disappointment and how you deal with the struggle and the disappointment is what defines you as a man. I allowed these feelings to run their course, accepted my disappointment, I let them go, and I got back in the gym where I belong. To sum it all up: I am not suicidal in any way, I won't speak of it again because it is something I don't understand, and I will continue to push forward with all I have. I apologise to anyone out there that has been through such hard times and I do not mean to undermine your issues,” Brown posted on Instagram.
Brown is currently going through a rough patch in his career, dropping fights to Demian Maia and ‘The Juggernaut’, but has proved to be on of the most tenacious fighters on the roster.
The No. 14 ranked welterweight was on the verge of being cut by the UFC after losing three straight in 2010, but pulled himself together and accumulated a seven-fight win streak. It is seen as one of the most inspirational career resurgences and Brown will look to spring back into the winners column against Tarec Saffiedine at UFC 207.
The pay-per-view, which sees Ronda Rousey return to the Octagon against Amanda Nunes, takes place on Dec. 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.