A Controversial Stoppage and a Fighter's Resilience: Matt Brown's Take on UFC Houston's Brutal Knockout
UFC veteran Matt Brown is raising eyebrows and sparking debate after a recent UFC Houston bout where fighter Josiah Harrell suffered a devastating knockout. While Harrell's octagon debut ended in a harsh loss, Brown, who served as one of Harrell's coaches, believes the controversy lies not just in the knockout itself, but in the timing of the stoppage and the actions of both the fighter and the referee. But here's where it gets controversial... Brown suggests that blame for the late stoppage should be shared, pointing fingers at both the fighter who delivered the knockout, Jacobe Smith, and the referee, Kerry Hatley.
Harrell's fight took a sharp turn when, after securing a takedown on Smith, he was reversed and subsequently absorbed a series of powerful punches, leading to his unconsciousness on the canvas. However, Brown revealed a detail many might have missed: the initial damage that rocked Harrell wasn't from Smith's punches, but from Harrell's own head slamming onto the canvas during the takedown attempt. This impact, Brown explained, likely explains the rapid loss of position and the subsequent flurry of punches.
"It was a tough fight to take on eight days' notice to begin with," Brown shared on a recent podcast episode, "but he stepped up to the challenge and I think he could have done better than he did. The funny thing is I don’t think a lot of people noticed this, and I didn’t even notice it live when I watched it, but he got knocked out on the takedown, when he took down Jacobe Smith. He hit his head, and I don’t think it completely knocked him out, but it clearly rocked him real bad, and then of course, Jacobe got an easy finish after that."
And this is the part most people miss... While Smith landed significant blows, Brown pointed out that some of these punches landed after Harrell was already clearly out. Referee Kerry Hatley attempted to step in, but Smith continued his assault until finally being separated. Brown expressed his disappointment with Smith's actions, stating, "The only thing I will take away from him was he didn’t have to land those couple of extra shots when the referee kind of tried to pull him off. I thought that was a little bit dirty."
However, Brown doesn't stop there. He firmly believes that both Smith and Hatley share responsibility for the delayed stoppage. "I’ll put blame on both of them," Brown declared. "Kerry Hatley should have stopped it sooner, and Jacobe Smith should have had the awareness to stop. It was both their faults. It wasn’t one or the other. Both of them could have been more proactive. Jacobe knew he was knocked out. He knew he was punching a dead man. I know how it is in the heat of the moment. I’ve had enough fights. You guys have seen me pull back in fights where I had a guy knocked out and I stopped it. Don’t tell me you can’t think about that in the heat of the moment."
Brown acknowledged the referee's difficult position but emphasized the fighter's responsibility. "But I also get Kerry Hatley should have been more aggressive with the stoppage, especially he’s clearly knocked out and there’s no sign of Jacobe Smith slowing down. But I think to give Kerry Hatley credit, I think he thought he just lets him [know] it’s done, and the guy’s going to stop, and he didn’t. They’re both at fault to some extent. I put more fault on Jacobe Smith."
This incident was particularly difficult for Brown, given Harrell's journey back to the UFC after a brain abnormality required surgery. Witnessing one of his fighters experience such a brutal knockout was a first for Brown, and a deeply emotional experience. "That shit hurts. That shit is hard to deal with," he admitted. "Looking in the cage and watching him stumble over himself and they sent me in [to help] because he’s trying to grab the refs and the doctor. They sent me in to try and calm him down and I had to look in his eyes and tell you ‘you lost, you need to stop.’ That’s f*cking hard."
Despite the scary moment, thankfully, Harrell recovered quickly backstage and was in good spirits. Brown remains a staunch believer in Harrell's potential, highlighting his resilience and talent. "He got knocked out on a takedown. He was being offensive, doing the right thing. He took down a goddamn Big 12 champ, All-American [wrestler] and knocked himself out on the way," Brown stated. "He’s going to be back. He’s going to be stronger. I still think people are going to be very shocked when they see him at his best going in there. I still believe 100 percent he has every opportunity be a champion. He’s got all the tools to be a champion."
What are your thoughts on the stoppage? Do you agree with Matt Brown that both the fighter and referee share blame, or do you think one is more at fault? Share your opinions in the comments below!
