Matt Brown: Maybe I'll take Johny Hendricks down, put him on his back
Matt Brown is well aware of the challenge ahead of him at UFC 185 when he takes on former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.
The Ohio native is not only facing one of the best 170-pound fighters on the planet, but also a man on a mission to get his body in shape like never before as he gets ready to step back into the Octagon, one fight removed from losing the title to new champion Robbie Lawler last December.
Hendricks has undergone a dramatic transformation during this fight camp as he cut out any excess when it came to his food and nutritional intake and now he's hovering around 11-percent body fat -- something that rarely happened even when he was the champion in the division.
Brown wouldn't expect anything less than Hendricks arriving in tremendous shape and believing that a bad weight cut would somehow aid his performance is just backwards thinking that usually leads to a loss.
"I'm going to assume I'm fighting the best Johny Hendricks either way," Brown told FOX Sports. "Whether it is or not. That's how we've got to look at it. We can't approach it half-assed like we're not getting the best guy because then what happens if he does come out as the best guy."
One aspect of Hendricks' game that Brown is well aware of going into Saturday night is his wrestling pedigree. He's a former NCAA champion who has adapted his style for a takedown-heavy strategy in many of his fights. While Hendricks prides himself on a good boxing game and a knockout left hand, in three past fights in particular -- two against Robbie Lawler and his bout against Carlos Condit -- when striking started to work against him, he could revert to his wrestling and put opponents on the ground.
Brown knows if he's lighting Hendricks up on the feet, the former Oklahoma State standout will immediately start fishing for takedowns because that's the best way he knows how to survive.
"It's only in his best interest, right? That's his safety net, he's got his wrestling," Brown said. "It's very difficult to deal with when he's wrestling. That's his strength, that's what he does. You don't want to be in that situation the whole fight. Even if he barely beats you in wrestling, he's a national champion so he can beat most guys in wrestling so that's not the type of fight you want to have with him."
Brown doesn't have the accolades Hendricks does when it comes to wrestling pedigree on his resume, but he's worked non-stop for the past few years to improve his ability to take an opponent down or stuff their attempts whenever it suits him.
Brown is a regular at the Ohio State University wrestling room, where he works with the recent Big 10 champions on the mats. While he certainly finds out just how tough it can be to go with Division I All-Americans, there's never a day spent there where he doesn't walk out feeling he didn't get better.
"I train with guys that are as good as him at wrestling and I hang with guys that are on the same level," Brown said. "As long as it stays that way in the cage, I'm going to work out fine."
There is a flipside to the wrestling argument because while it seems like Brown is preparing to counter Hendricks' takedowns, he's also not afraid to engage with the former welterweight champion and put him down if that's what it takes.
Brown knows Hendricks relies on his wrestling when he gets in trouble. So what will he do if he gets taken down instead and has to fight off his back in a moment of peril?
"Maybe I'll just take him down and put him on his back," Brown said. "What's he going to do if Matt Brown puts him on his back? We'll find out on Saturday. I don't put too many expectations on a fight or what's going to happen. I just want to get my body and my mind in the right place and allow everything to go from there."
