After KO of Diego Sanchez, Matt Brown uncertain of retirement

On Saturday night, in the co-main of the UFC’s anticipated stop in Norfolk, VA, long-time welterweight fan favorite Matt Brown stepped into the cage with Diego Sanchez for a fight that was expected to be the last of his action-packed career.

When Brown won this fight with a violent, elbow induced KO, he seemed to have the perfect opportunity to hop on his proverbial horse and ride of into the sunset. Speaking to the media after his win, however, he admitted that he’s not thinking about his retirement just yet, and that he’ll make the final decision in the coming days.

“To be honest, I’m not even thinking about it right now,” Matt Brown told MMAjunkie after his big win over Diego Sanchez “It’s not even really a thought in my mind. I’m thinking about enjoying tonight, and we’ll talk about it later.”

Apparently, Brown has also been encouraged to keep fighting by many people in his circle.

“I’ve definitely had more people tell me not to retire than to retire,” Brown said. “But nobody other than me and my family really has any bearing on that – and close friends. So I’m not even going to allow anybody else’s opinions to get into my mind like that.”

WHAT AN ELBOW! Matt Brown KO’s Diego Sanchez for the finish at #UFCNorfolk! https://t.co/i7MIUI1rXE

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) November 12, 2017

Whatever the case, Brown is just happy to have picked up the win – particularly such an emphatic stoppage win – as he proved to himself that he’s better than his recent slump indicated.

“Ending (the losing streak) feels good, but I felt like I needed a finish, because I wasn’t getting the job done, Brown said. “I had to at least show myself that I’m better than I’ve been fighting.”

Matt Brown’s KO of Diego Sanchez separated him from knockout losses to Donald Cerrone and Jake Ellenberger, and a submission to Demian Maia. Do you think he should retire?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 12/11/2017.