Matt Brown isn’t buying into the hype surrounding the upcoming Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano showdown and he’s not holding back.
The May 16 card, backed by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and set to stream on Netflix, has generated plenty of buzz. But Brown believes the attention may not translate into a satisfying fight, especially with both women returning after long layoffs and at a combined age of 83.
“It will do big numbers, but who is actually going to care?” Brown said. “How many times are we going to walk away from a fight and feel like we wasted our time? I think we’re going to feel the same thing with this fight.”
Matt Brown compared the matchup to crossover spectacles like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, warning that fans could end up disappointed despite the initial excitement.
“Maybe not feel icky, but we’re going to feel like we wasted our time,” Brown said. “At some point, it’s going to play itself out.”
While the event continues to build momentum, Brown argued that it might ultimately benefit the UFC more than anything else.
“People are going to become fight fans and say, ‘I’m sick of this. Can I just watch a real fight?’” Brown added. “Then they’ll turn to the UFC.”
Matt Brown reacts to Ronda Rousey’s UFC criticism
In the buildup, Rousey has taken repeated shots at her former employer, even targeting current champions. But Matt Brown believes that approach only brings more attention back to the UFC.
“Good old Ronda. Always giving us something to talk about,” Brown said. “She cracks me up at this point. I don’t know if anybody actually takes her seriously.”
“She seems so angry sometimes,” he continued. “You’re just like, ‘Can you just chill?’ I don’t think anyone’s buying into it.”
Brown also dismissed the idea of Rousey competing with the current elite, including Kayla Harrison.
“Nobody believes she’s going to mess with Kayla Harrison if that fight ever happens,” Brown said. “No one’s buying into that.”
Matt Brown questions Gina Carano’s motivation When it comes to Gina Carano’s return after 17 years away from MMA, Matt Brown sees one clear motivation, money.
“I don’t know if Gina even really cares,” Brown said. “She hasn’t fought in 17 years. Clearly, she was done. Then she gets a call and they offer her enough money, and she’s like, ‘OK, I’ll do that.’”
“It’s hard to believe it’s anything other than a paycheck,” he added.
With fight night approaching, the buildup has lacked the kind of tension fans expect. Instead of animosity, Rousey and Carano have appeared relatively cordial, something Matt Brown believes won’t help sell the actual fight.
“Is there anything that would get you interested?” Brown said. “Even if they were going at each other, talking trash, throwing chairs, you’d still think, ‘This isn’t going to be a great fight.You can hype it all you want,” he added. “There’s nothing exciting about this.”
