Matt Brown Blasts Fans Over Anthony Smith Arrest

Retired UFC fighter Matt Brown says fans have gone too far in their treatment of Anthony Smith following his recent arrest.

Smith was arrested on three felony charges after a domestic incident with his wife on July 26, and has faced severe online criticism since. Brown, speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, told fans to lay off the former heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight title challenger. "These motherf*ckers need to lay off Anthony Smith," he said, per MMA Fighting. "We weren't there and neither was 100 percent of the people that are confidently judging his life from headlines and social media posts."

Brown On Fandom And Fighter Mental Health

Brown stopped short of defending Smith's actions but questioned the rush to tear down someone based on limited information. He noted that Smith's wife had described the episode as a mental health struggle. "Accountability is one thing," Brown said. "Cruelty and entertaining yourself with someone's downfall is another thing." Brown drew parallels to Dustin Poirier, who recently spoke about his own post-retirement struggles after a public drunkenness arrest.

Brown said many fighters use the sport to manage personal demons, but those issues can resurface once a career ends. "When you get through the sport, those demons may resurface," he explained. He added that fans expecting flawless behavior from cage fighters are missing the reality of who enters the sport. "We're fighting in a cage for f*cking money. We're f*cked up people."

Smith has made no public statement since the arrest. His next court date is scheduled for August 17.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Matt Brown blasts toxic fandom in MMA after Anthony Smith’s recent arrest