UFC welterweight Randy Brown participated in the Black Lives Matter rally in Brooklyn, N.Y. last week and hopes to fight Anthony Pettis next.
UFC welterweight [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag] hasn’t competed since November, but he’s remained active in other ways.
When thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., Brown (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was among them – marching, chanting, carrying a flag. The crowds formed following the death of George Floyd, a man who died during an arrest by the Minneapolis police department.
“It was cool,” Brown told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I just felt like it was very important – something that I had to do being a black man. I was raised in Jamaica but live in America. Some of those issues hit right at home. I just felt like it was important I went out there. I have a little bit of a platform, so I decided it would maybe be good for me to be out there and let my voice be heard.”
Sports portrait photographer Anthony Geathers captured a pair of images of Brown partaking in the protests. In one, Brown, holding a flag, is shown conversing with a police officer.
“Me and him was just having a conversation,” Brown said. “People are angry. It’s like a high-emotional environment. People are emotional. There was a guy and an officer who came together. The guy was very emotional and was yelling things. The officer, he got emotional, too. They both came together (and) they were arguing. I came in the middle of it and kind of was like, ‘Just be easy.'”
At the end of the day, Brown said he, like so many others, are simply seeking equality. The protests and marches are an avenue to reach that goal.
“We just need reform, man,” Brown said. “We need reform. We need to be honest and have an honest conversation about equality and the things that are going on in the black community. I’m not a politician. I’m no civil rights leader or anything like that. I’m just a fighter. My opinion is minuscule in comparison to all the solutions that could be said. I just think what we should take away is equality. We’re all one. We should all just be together.”
Pivoting to discussing his fighting career, Brown said his team has recently resumed talks with the UFC. Prior to the outbreak of the current COVID-19 pandemic, he had been booked to fight Vicente Luque in April. However, due to difficulties with the coronavirus in New York, his day-to-day life became more challenging.
The Luque matchup is one that still interests Brown, but he’s not sure of the likelihood it’ll get booked. Perhaps he should fight a former UFC lightweight champion instead, Brown proposed.
“Absolutely, I think (Luque) would be a good matchup for me,” Brown said. “The thing is with that, I know Luque is looking to fight up right now. I don’t know if he wants to take a step back, per se. I know a lot of guys are kind of iffy on that. He wants to fight someone in the top-10, he’s saying. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. I’ll fight him.
“Honestly, I would love a fight with Anthony Pettis. If that’s not too far-fetched or too far-gone. I know he was ranked 15 I believe. Hey, I’m right outside the top-15 and I want to break in. I’m down to fight anybody, anywhere in the top-15 right now.”
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