In his first fight in more than two years, Matt Brown returned to the UFC octagon on Saturday night and defeated Ben Saunders with strikes at 4:55 of Round 2.
The welterweight bout took place at UFC 245 in Las Vegas. Brown (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) had been out of action since a loss to Diego Sanchez in February 2018. Saunders (22-13-2 MMA, 9-10 UFC) had won two of his previous three fights.
The fight started off with both fighters feeling each other out. Brown landed a few good punches in the first round, but Saunders was able to avoid any serious damage.
In the second round, Brown started to find his rhythm and began to land more punches. He also started to use his wrestling to control Saunders on the ground.
With just over five minutes left in the round, Brown landed a series of punches that put Saunders on the ground. Saunders tried to defend himself, but Brown was relentless and continued to land punches. The referee eventually stepped in and stopped the fight.
With the win, Brown snapped a two-fight losing streak. He also earned his first Performance of the Night bonus.
Saunders, meanwhile, suffered his third loss in his last four fights. He is now 1-2 in his last three fights at welterweight.
The victory was a big one for Brown, who had been struggling in recent years. He is now 2-1 in his last three fights and has shown that he can still compete at a high level.
It will be interesting to see what is next for Brown. He is a veteran of the UFC and has a lot of experience. He could be a dangerous opponent for any welterweight in the division.