WSOF reps blast UFC fighter Matt Brown’s controversial WMMA comments
Promoters and a women’s strawweight from World Series of Fighting on Thursday criticized recent comments made by UFC welterweight Matt Brown, who said among other things that he would only buy a pay-per-view to see women fight if they were topless.
“If it’s true, I think it’s disgusting,†said WSOF President Ray Sefo during a conference call in support of WSOF 8, which takes place Jan. 18 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
“I think every person should respect female fighters, because they do bring the fire. They’re all talented. It really gets to me when people start saying stupid s–t like that.â€
Alida Gray (4-0), who fights veteran Jessica Aguilar (16-4) on the event’s NBC Sports Network-televised main card, initially sidestepped Brown’s comments, but later called them “disrespectful.â€
“We’re fighters, and we’re athletes, and just like any other sport, we work hard for what we do,†Gray said. “He’s entitled to his own opinion, but we’re going to put on a fight, and he’s welcome to tune in if he wants.â€
Brown, whose back injury recently forced him to withdraw from a highly anticipated UFC on FOX 9 booking with Carlos Condit, was not reachable for comment, and UFC officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 32-year-old fighter made his remarks during an interview on a podcast he co-founded called “Legit Man S–t.â€
“I always said I don’t know why they put women in the UFC; now I know why,†Brown said. “If I’m [going] to pay $60 for a pay-per-view to watch women fight, they should at least be topless. How many knockouts do you see in women’s fights?
“It’s not really my thing. I respect what they do, but look, they don’t have the body-type or the power – all that s–t – for knockouts. If you’re not a good grappler in women’s MMA, then you’re behind. It’s no different than the 125(-pound) division of men’s MMA in that they’re just really not built for knockouts.â€
As of Thursday afternoon, the podcast’s online home could not be found.
Gray voiced her opposition to Brown’s comments by telling a story about how her father was a karate black belt and challenged her in contests to see who could punch him the hardest in the stomach.
“At the end, I would always win,†she said. “He would always tell me, ‘You punch hard for being so little.’
Gray also boasts professional proof of her power. In her third pro fight, she earned a third-round knockout.
“I’m not going to predict what’s going to happen in the fight against Jessica,†she added. “If I knock her out, great. If I tap her out, that’s also great. I’m just looking for a win.â€
WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdel-Aziz then chimed in: “I think if Alida hit Matt Brown, she would knock out Matt Brown, too.â€
