Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown Fixes the UFC Heavyweight Division, Argues for Kamaru Usman Over Ian Machado Garry for Next Title Shot

MMA Fighting

Vox Media Podcast Network

Sports, News, Sports News

4.5 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 17 February 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, UFC legend Matt Brown and Damon Martin discuss the abysmal state of the UFC heavyweight division and what can be done to fix it. Could just a couple of moves actually fix what has become one of the worst weight classes in the sport? Plus we’ll talk about rumors that Islam Makhachev is likely to face Ian Machado Garry next and if that’s the right move for that division? Plus Brown previews his fighter Josiah Harrell making his UFC debut on one week’s notice. All that and more on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer! Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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1:13.3	Thank you. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Welcome back to the Fighter versus the writer. I am Damon Martin.
1:14.3	He is UFC legend Matt Brown, and we're actually going to open the show this week, Matt, with a couple pieces of really good news.
1:19.7	You know, people will get a little downtrodden sometimes talking about combat sports, right?
1:23.1	We actually have some good news.
1:24.1	What I want to mention you just throw it out there, Kane Velasca's former UFC heavyweight champion, released from prison today,
1:29.7	reunited with his family. I'm not going to sit here and ask you to place judgment on what or what did or did not happen, how he ended up there, but I'm just happy to report. He's out of prison. He's back home with his family where he belongs. I've talked to a couple people about it today.
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