Matt
Brown believes the newly announced merger between the
Professional Fighters League and
Most Valuable Promotions is a sensible business move, but still
no match for the industry leader.

Brown's comments echo
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White's remarks about the merger.

PFL, Most Valuable Promotions and UFC compete for MMA's biggest
stage

Brown suggested that the new company could find more success by
avoiding making the UFC their primary competition. In a recent
interview, the retired fighter discussed where the PFL-MVP union
stands in comparison to the UFC.

“I certainly think it's a smart thing for both of those companies
to do,†Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer.
“Come together, join forces, try to build something big.
Unfortunately, they're in a space where they're still just going to
be No. 2.â€

Brown largely agreed with White's comments days earlier, where the
UFC CEO dismissed the new merger as a real threat to the UFC.

“I agree with what [Dana White] said — ‘We're competing with major
leagues and sh*t, we're not worried about what these peasants are
doing,' so to speak,†Brown added. “He didn't say it like that, but
I think he's totally right in saying that.â€

While Brown believes that the merger brings a lot of good,
including the prospect of more money and raising the standards for
overall pay in the industry, he says competing with the UFC is
futile. “The Immortal†suggested the merged promotion would be
better served by establishing its own identity.

“When you're trying to outspend or try to get better fighters,â€
Brown said. “You don't have a chance. What I see MVP and PFL trying
to do is a d*ck-swinging contest, and it's like you've got a
f*cking limp d*ck over here.”

Brown further emphasized that most fighters want to fight on the
biggest stage irrespective of the money they're earning.

“I guarantee 99.9% of fighters would go fight f*cking Jon Jones for
$1,000 rather than f*cking some PFL guy for $50,000.â€

Dana
White's recent Instagram Stories blunder has drawn the ire of
Renato
“Money Moicano†Carneiro.

White, on one of his stories, paid tribute to late
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight Allan
Nascimento, who tragically passed away in his sleep at just 34
years of age due to a heart attack. The UFC CEO's next story showed
him smoking a cigar, with the caption reading, “Great Day.â€

‘Dana messed up this one': Renato Carneiro calls out UFC CEO's
insensitive post

While the posts are clearly unrelated, fans subsequently pointed
out White's insensitive order of posts on Instagram, catching the
attention of Carneiro, who previously mourned his compatriot after
hearing the tragic news.

“Damn, man… Dana messed up on this one, posted the kid’s photo and
then the cigs and we’re just enjoying we’re just enjoying!!??†The
UFC lightweight wrote on X. “We really are just passing through
this cruel big world! Only Jesus saves.â€

Carneiro returned to winning ways earlier this year, defeating
Chris
Duncan to bounce back from consecutive losses to Islam
Makhachev and Beneil
Dariush.

Rest in peace Alan Nascimento.

— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc)
August 3, 2026

Caraio mané… Dana vacilou nessa, postou a
foto do menó e depois cigarreira e tamo curtindo tamo curtindo !!??
Realmente estamos só de passagem nesse mundão cruel! Só Jesus salva
ðŸ™

— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc)
August 4, 2026

Careca fdp máximo cara… pic.twitter.com/zGNBBYCa3G

— Vitinn the 27👑 (@Vitinnsp)
August 4, 2026

Robert
Whittaker recently listed matchups he's interested in while
dismissing others.

Whittaker (27-9) has a new range of opponents available after
moving up to light heavyweight. “The Reaper†is eyeing fellow
former
Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Magomed
Ankalaev, who defeated Bogdan
Guskov at
UFC Abu Dhabi last month.

Robert Whittaker discusses Magomed Ankalaev, Paulo Costa and
UFC light heavyweight matchups

While Whittaker admits Guskov would have been an exciting opponent
as well, he also would have been interested in Jan
Blachowicz if not for the Polish 205-pounder's loss to Navajo
Stirling at
UFC Belgrade. While Paulo Costa
has momentum behind him, Whittaker would rather fight others,
having already beaten “Borrachinha†in a middleweight bout in
2024.

Whittaker also clarified that he will not fight his teammates
Stirling and Carlos
Ulberg, the current champion.

“I'd love to get in there with like Ank. Jan just had a loss but
would've loved to have jumped in there with him,†Whittaker said on
the “Believe You Me†podcast. “Bogdan would've been great; anyone
up. People keep throwing the name Costa out there, but I've fought
him before; there's a lot of other guys out there. I won't fight
the boys that I train with. If we reach a point where we're 1, 2
and 3, with me, Carlos and now Nav, I'm sure we can all sit down
and find a way to get paid.â€

Stirling also recently dismissed the idea of fighting Ulberg and
Whittaker, highlighting the camaraderie they share at
City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand.

Whittaker recently moved up to light heavyweight after back-to-back
losses at middleweight. The Australian overcame early adversity to
knock out Nikita
Krylov at
UFC 329.