After over two years away from the UFC cage, Matt Brown is back from injury.
Brown (21-16 MMA, 14-10 UFC) will return to action when he takes on fellow longtime vet “Killa B” Ben Saunders (22-12-2 MMA, 8-9 UFC) at UFC 245 in Las Vegas.
MMA Junkie confirmed the fight with a source with knowledge of the situation after the Las Vegas Review-Journal initially reported the fight Friday.
UFC 245 takes place Dec. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card streams on pay-per-view, following prelims on ESPN 2 and ESPN+.
Brown, a 38-year-old welterweight, dabbled in retirement talks leading into his most recent bout against Diego Sanchez in Nov. 2017. After he defeated Sanchez with a brutal, highlight-reel elbow, Brown walked back the idea the bout would be his last.
Shortly thereafter, Brown was booked to take on Carlos Condit at UFC on FOX 29 in Glendale, Ariz. In late March, just weeks before the bout, Brown announced he was out of the bout after he suffered a torn ACL.
Over his 11-year UFC tenure, Brown has become a fan-favorite for his fighting style and finishing abilities. The Ohioan has earned three ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses, two ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses, and one ‘Knockout of the Night’ bonus over his 24-fight UFC stint to date. Brown has struggled recently, having lost five of his last seven outings.
Recently, Saunders, 36, has also faced his fair share of losses. In his last six bouts, Saunders has lost five fights inside the distance – four coming via TKO. His lone win in the stretch came in May 2018, when Saunders defeated Jake Ellenberger via strikes in 1:56.
After he was submitted by Sergio Moraes in Sept. 2018, Saunders was brutally knocked out by Lyman Good in Nov. 2018. He faced a similar fate in his last fight against Takashi Sato in April, when he was finished via a left cross and ground-and-pound in the second round.
