Matt Brown: NMF Stephen Thompson’s Fans Aren’t So Nice

Matt Brown has fought some of the top fighters in the welterweight division, but he felt the most hostility when pitted against Stephen Thompson.

Brown is set to face Bryan Barberena in what is expected to be an exciting fight on the upcoming UFC Columbus card. The 41-year-old has fought in the UFC since his debut back in 2008 on The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale.

During a recent interview with UFC writer Thomas Gerbasi, Brown revealed which fight got him the most fired during his career in terms of trash talking.

“You know, to be honest, probably the most trash talking I ever dealt with in my career was when I fought Stephen Thompson,” Brown said.

After being pushed for clarification on what occurred between him and Thompson, someone widely considered one of the “nicest” persons on the UFC roster, Brown explained that Thompson wasn’t the main problem.

“It wasn’t necessarily from Stephen himself,” Brown said. “But his fanboys, they were just rabid. It was constant. They were sending me messages all the time and I wasn’t saying things in interviews; I was just being confident, like, ‘Yes, I’m gonna beat him,’ and things like that, and they would just take it so personal. It was kind of annoying. But it really motivated me and drove me to train even harder.”

Thompson claimed the “NMF” moniker after Jorge Masvidal won the BMF title over Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Thompson has been known as one of the most universally liked and respected athletes in the UFC and has previously called for an NMF vs. BMF fight against Masvidal.

Brown defeated Thompson via a unanimous decision at UFC 145, right in the middle of a seven-fight win streak that nearly led him to a welterweight title shot. Thompson has most recently suffered losses to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad.

Brown will look to get a second-straight win after dismantling Dhiego Lima last June. He feels to be in the prime of his career and will look to silence the trolls, some of whom may be part of Thompson’s fan base.

What are your thoughts on Matt Brown’s comments?

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