» Fighter: Matt Brown

Welterweight American Matt Brown (11-7) pounded out English The Ultimate Fighter 9 champ “Lightning” James Wilks (4-3) by TKO at 2:27 of round three at UFC 105 at M.E.N. Arena in Manchester Saturday.

The final exchange looked like it might spell doom for Brown.  Wilks reversed a Brown standing Kimura and pulled guard, yanking Browns left arm behind his head.

Read More About UFC 105 Results: Matt Brown Pounds Out The Ultimate Fighter 9 Champ James Wilks…

The UFC unveiled Tuesday a ten-fight card for UFC 105 at M.E.N. Arena in Manchester November 14 with a previously announced light heavyweight main event between Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked heavyweight “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10) and “Truth” Brandon Vera (11-3) atop the bout sheet.

Read More About 10 Fights Officially Announced for UFC 105 in Manchester…

UFC welterweight Matt Brown (10-7) relented Wednesday afternoon and told Fighters.com, “I guess I’m allowed to say now since it’s everywhere. Yes, I’m fighting [The Ultimate Fighter 9 champ "Lightning" James Wilks (4-2)] at UFC 105 in Manchester 14 November.”

MMA Junkie reported the possible match-up Wednesday morning after Fighters.com reported Monday that Brown had lined up an opponent other than former UFC welterweight champion “Terror” Matt Serra (9-6), a rumor that had been reported by MMA Weekly.

I guess the magic number is “3″: It takes three reporters to unveil an undercard fight on an event three months out.

Read More About UFC 105: Matt Brown v James Wilks Confirmed…

Matt Brown (10-7) told Fighters.com Monday, “I’m not fighting Serra. I’ve got a fight lined up. Can’t talk about it though.”

MMA Weekly reported Monday morning that Brown was a possible opponent for former UFC welterweight champion “Terror” Matt Serra’s (9-6) return from a disappointing UD to fellow former titlist Matt Hughes (41-7) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas 23 May.

Once described by Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7) as “born to be a fighter“, Brown has racked up three wins versus a single loss in the Octagon since losing to Amir Sadollah (1-1) on season seven of The Ultimate Fighter.

He TKO’d “Drago” Pete Sell (8-5) at UFC 96 in Columbus 7 March.

Welterweight “Immortal” Matt Brown (9-7) tapped “Tank Engine” Ryan Thomas (11-3) in an armbar at 0:57 of the second round at UFC 91 in Las Vegas Saturday night. 

Brown took the fight on two-weeks notice and reportedly cut 25 pounds to make the 170-poound limit.

Thomas forced the action early scoring multiple takedowns and double under hook control.  Brown climbed the cage to stand both times.

On the ground, Thomas continued to force the action, keeping a fast pace as Brown had to fight to gain any control on the ground.   Towards the end of the first round, Brown came very close to both a guillotine and a triangle submission.

At the start of the second round, Brown stood his ground.  Once the action hit the ground, Brown capitalized on Thomas keeping his arm in the middle of Brown’s guard by transitioning to an armbar.  Thomas tried to roll out of it, but was forced to tap.

The Ultimate Fighter 7 alum Matt Brown (2-1) will step in for fellow TUF 7 alum Matt Riddle (1-0) against welterweight Ryan Thomas (11-2) at UFC 91 in Las Vegas 15 November, according to the Wrestling Observer.

Riddle was forced to pull out due to a knee injury sustained in training.

Brown lost a split decision at UFC 88 in September to “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (7-3).

Thomas lost his Octagon debut at UFC 87 in August, submitting to Ben Saunders’s (6-0-2) armbar in the second round.

“Sugar” Rashad Evans (12-0-1) knocked out Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-6) with a right hook in the second round Saturday night in Atlanta.

Liddell lay unconcious on the canvas for several minutes after the punch.

Evans jitter-bugged around a stalking Liddell the entire fight.  Liddell never really got a beat on him, but landed a straight right in the first round.  Evans back-pedalled and taunted Liddell with a dance.

In the second round, Liddell lunged for an uppercut and took Evans’s counter right hook square on the jaw to end the fight at 1:51.

Franklin Finishes Friend

“Ace” Rich Franklin (24-3) TKO’d his friend and former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) at 39 seconds of round three with a left kick to Hamill’s floating rib in Franklin’s return to 205.

Franklin had landed the same kick consistently through the first two rounds.  In the third, the kick dropped Hamill and Franklin landed two punches before referee Mario Yamasaki waved the fight off.

Read More About “Sugar” Rashad Stings Liddell…

The UFC announced Thursday that Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) and Thiago Tavares (13-2) will meet in a lightweight preliminary bout at UFC 88 in Atlanta 6 September.

Pellegrino lost his most recent fight to Nathan Diaz (9-2) when Diaz caught him in a triangle choke in the second round at Fight Night 13 in April.

Tavares also lost his last fight, to “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-3) via second-round TKO at UFC 85 in June.

The UFC also confirmed three other preliminary match-ups, a welterweight match between “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (10-0-1) and Matt Brown (7-6), a light heavyweight match between “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (7-2) and James Lee (13-3), and the previously reported match between welterweights “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) and “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (14-8).

Kim made his Octagon debut at UFC 84 in May with a third-round TKO over Jason Tan (5-3).

Brown, a TUF 7 competitor, won his fight in the June finale with a TKO in round two over “No Regard” Matt Arroyo (3-2).

Boetsch fell to “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1)’s punches in round two in April.

Lee lost his UFC debut in January to “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (12-7) via first-round TKO, ending a ten-fight win streak.

Three TUF champions highlighted the action in Las Vegas Saturday night: the original, the past, and the future.

The future shines brilliantly for The Ultimate Fighter’s newest blast into the mainstream consciousness, Amir Sadollah (1-0).

In his professional debut, Sadollah tapped “Doberman” CB Dollaway (6-1) in an armbar at 3:02 of round one to win the seventh season of the popular SpikeTV reality show contest.

“Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2), one of the two original Ultimate Fighters, looked physically fitter than ever in his third-round TKO of American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti (12-4) at 4:07.

After back-to-back “embarrasing” losses, “Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-5), TUF 3 champion, recaptured past glory in a three-round split decision over former UFC titlist Evan Tanner (32-8).

The likeable young TUF walk-on from Virginia, Sadollah, versus the cocky All-American favorite, Dollaway, was a rematch of an exhibition fight fought on the final episode of last season’s The Ultimate Fighter.

Saturday’s finish was almost a replay of that fight’s end.

Read More About Sadollah Taps Dollaway…Again, Sanchez Renewed…

The pack has been cut from 32 to six.

Two were slated for the chopping block on Wednesday night’s episode with the winners moving on toward the prize of a six-figure contract.

Dante Rivera (10-2) was pitted against Jesse Taylor (6-2).

Matt Brown (9-6) scrapped with lanky amateur Amir Sadollah (0-0).

With the quarter finals looming, a coin was flipped to assign the coaches to the four fighters.

Jesse and Amir had Forrest Griffin (15-4) backing them.

“Rampage” Quinton Jackson(29-6) cornerd Dante Rivera and Matt Brown.

Jesse, who confessed he enjoys dipping microwaved cheeseburgers in ranch dressing, put on the rubber suit and, like fighters have done for years when they need to cut weight…played Ping Pong?

By the time Jesse left for the hot tub, the table and floor were splattered with pools of sweat.

He was courteous enough to step away from the hot tub where he politely urinated in his shorts, claimed it “feels good on my leg”, splashed his feet in the yellow puddle, and jumped back into the water.

His opponent joined him soon after and soaked in Jesse’s waste, a sign of things to come.

Read More About TUF 7: Death Of a Samurai…