UFC veteran Matt Brown has expressed his strong disapproval of fighters publicly announcing their plans to retire before their final bout, using Anthony Smith`s recent first-round TKO loss as a clear example of why this approach is ill-advised.
Smith, a fighter with 50 professional appearances, had openly stated his intention for his bout last Saturday in Kansas City to be his last. He had coordinated the timing and location with the UFC, making it convenient as he had trained extensively in Kansas City and lives only a few hours away. However, Smith`s planned farewell ended abruptly and grimly in the first round when an elbow from Zhang Mingyang caused a severe cut, leading to a stoppage after ground strikes.
Brown believes that such unfortunate and anticlimactic conclusions are highly probable when fighters make public declarations about their upcoming retirement fights. He echoed the sentiment often attributed to UFC President Dana White: “If you’re already thinking about it, you should just stop now.”
“That`s why I`m not such a fan of guys planning their retirement fight,” Brown explained. While acknowledging that some fighters, like Robbie Lawler, have managed to execute their planned farewells successfully, Brown argues that a fighter who is mentally “one foot out the door” is fundamentally disadvantaged when facing an opponent who is completely focused and “with two feet in the door,” actively pursuing their career goals.
Drawing on his extensive 15-year career in the UFC, Brown highlighted the inherent and constant risk present in every fight. He contends that this danger is significantly magnified when one competitor is mentally preparing to retire, while their opponent is still in the prime or ascending phase of their career.
“Our life is truly on the line in there,” Brown stated, emphasizing the grave stakes involved in professional fighting. He finds the idea of entering such a high-risk situation with a divided focus (“a foot out the door”) to be unwise, particularly for individuals with family responsibilities.
Brown`s own decision to retire was markedly different. He didn`t announce his final fight beforehand and didn`t realize the bout would be his last until about a year later. It was only when he received a call about another potential fight and realized he no longer possessed the same drive and passion for competing that he decided the time was right to step away.
While understanding the emotional appeal of a planned final performance, Brown notes that his experience has shown far more instances of planned retirement fights ending in disappointing defeats rather than triumphant celebrations.
“It’s just a different mentality,” he elaborated. A fighter announcing retirement might go into the bout with the intention to “leave it all in there” for the sake of their legacy, but their opponent is typically operating with a completely different, more intense mindset – “thirsty for blood,” driven by the need to win, climb the rankings, and earn money. He referenced the old boxing adage about walking into the ring “up the stairs in wooden shoes and you walk down the stairs in silk slippers” to illustrate the potential fall from grace in such fights.
Brown pointed out that fighters nearing retirement often have other business ventures or interests, which can lead to their focus being less absolute than that of a fully dedicated, actively pursuing opponent. While he acknowledged rare exceptions who can perform at a high level without complete, singular focus (like Jon Jones), he stressed that for the vast majority of fighters, including himself, total dedication is essential for success.
Rather than staging a specific retirement fight, Brown believes it`s better for athletes to recognize naturally when their passion wanes and the end of their career is near, potentially retiring sooner rather than scheduling a final bout that could end poorly.
He acknowledged that Anthony Smith`s situation is not unique but sincerely wishes fighters would thoroughly consider all the risks and potential negative outcomes before announcing their retirement plans publicly, thereby setting the stage for what could become a “potential disaster.”
“When you do start voicing it, or you are even having that thought in your mind, you’re going in against a guy that is in a completely different mindset,” Brown concluded. This fundamental difference in motivation – one fighter driven by hunger and advancement, the other perhaps by a desire for a fitting farewell – means the retiring fighter will inevitably be “a step behind.” According to Brown, this is a strategically and mentally disadvantageous position to be in for a combat sport.
