Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight veteran Matt Brown was not contemplating suicide in the days following his technical knockout loss to Jake Ellenberger at the UFC 201 pay-per-view (PPV) event back in July.
That said, “The Immortal” told MMA Hour he “felt like Ronda Rousey and wanted to kill himself,” but also insisted he was “mature enough to handle those feelings and not act on them.”
After the mixed martial arts (MMA) media went to print with Brown’s remarks, the former Ultimate Fighter took to his social media accounts to further clarify his comments, while also apologizing to anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide.
His words:
“Ok let’s clear up these headlines/click bait. First off, I should have never even mentioned suicide as it is a very serious issue for people and I’ll never truly relate to those folks. Second off, if you read the whole thing I cleared it up in the second paragraph here that I was simply using it as an expression. All fighters feel that low after a loss, especially after a devastating loss like I had with Ellenberger. I am a believer that losses are simply transitory disappointment and how you deal with the struggle and the disappointment is what defines you as a man. I allowed these feelings to run their course, accepted my disappointment, I let them go, and I got back in the gym where I belong. To sum it all up: I am not suicidal in any way, I won’t speak of it again because it is something I don’t understand, and I will continue to push forward with all I have. I apologize to anyone out there that has been through such hard times and I do not mean to undermine your issues.”
Rousey mentioned suicidal thoughts in the days after her knockout loss to Holly Holm.
With his loss to “The Juggernaut” behind him, Brown will lock horns with fellow welterweight veteran Tarec Saffiedine at UFC 207: “Nunes vs. Rousey,” which takes place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 30, 2016.
