The main event of UFC Fight Night 40 between welterweight contenders Matt Brown and Erick Silva was expected to be a Fight of the Night frontrunner.
However, no one could have predicted what went down at the U.S. Bank Arena Saturday night in Cincinnati.
Brown and Silva partook in a wild, back-and-forth slobberknocker with the hometown Brown overcoming an early deficit to get the win.
“I just did what I do,” said Brown, who was fighting in his home state of Ohio for the first time in five years. “I didn’t feel my best tonight…The pressure got to me a bit.”
Despite his self-criticism, Brown landed a total of 213 strikes and attempted four separate submissions. He picked up his seventh consecutive win and moved closer to a title shot, but things didn’t look so great for him early.
Many are already calling this one of the best fights in UFC history.
Here is some reaction from the MMA community.
Silva dropped Brown with a pair of devastating kicks to the midsection in the first round, but referee Herb Dean allowed the action to continue. After defending a calculated rear-naked choke attempt from Silva, Brown reversed his fortunes and finished the round getting the better of his opponent.
https://twitter.com/lorenzofertitta/status/465350481263734784
Brown took control of the fight in the final two rounds, peppering Silva with punches, elbows and knees before finally stopping Silva with ground-and-pound at 2:11 of the third stanza.
https://twitter.com/VinnyMMA/status/465350386262769664
