If there was another factor that helped Brown move past that loss so he could focus on the future, it’s that he’s still so young when it comes to his mixed martial arts maturation.
Brown turned pro just over five years ago and by his seventh fight, he was already competing in the UFC. Now he would never say it was a case of “too much, too soon,” but rather that he’s still learning on the job and every setback is just an opportunity to come back better than before.
“People don’t realize I turned pro in 2014. I was in the UFC by 2016. I’m 28 now about to be 29. It’s called on the job learning,” Brown said. “I’m learning as I’m going, so I’ve just got to learn from it. I try to find all kinds of positives from it.”
In the 11 months since his last fight, Brown has been dedicated to getting better each and every day, which is why he expects to show off some really dramatic improvements when he faces Bryan Barberena this Saturday night in Greenville, South Carolina.
He’s not exactly reinventing the wheel, but rather improving upon the skills he’s already showcased inside the Octagon and then sharpening those tools to a razor’s edge.
“It’s so cliché because every fighter says this but ‘you haven’t seen anything yet, I’m still learning, I’m still growing’. Yeah for sure. But when I say that [expletive], I mean it,” Brown said. “Every time I go in there, you see a brand new me. This time when I go out there and the people who are doubting me? Good luck because when I come every time, I am better. I am way better. So when I come out this time, it’s going to be scary because I’m learning on the job and I’m only getting better.
“You see the growth. You see there’s major differences but I know who I am. I recognize who I am. I know myself and I know what I’m capable of and the direction I’m heading.”
