Matt Brown, UFC Issue Apology Following Brown's 'Topless Fighter' Comments

It's a good thing for Matt Brown that he's a good MMA fighter. Because his podcasting career is going nowhere fast.

Hard on the heels of the UFC welterweight opining that women "should at least be topless" when they fight in an MMA cage, the UFC on Thursday issued a statement of apology on behalf of Brown.

"Matt Brown has apologized for the comments made on his podcast," read the statement, which was reported by Damon Martin of Fox Sports. "We have addressed the matter with him."

Brown himself also issued a statement to Fox Sports apologizing for his comments.

"I have spoken with the UFC about the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy and what is required and expected of me as a professional athlete under the terms of my promotion agreement," Brown said.  "The UFC has a policy of inclusion and respect for all people and I understand the importance of being more aware of my actions and words."

The UFC, which is not unaccustomed to cleaning up after fighters who make inflammatory or insensitive remarks, also took the opportunity to reiterate its own position on such language.

"His comments don't reflect the views of the UFC," the statement read. "There's no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. The UFC is built on principles of respect, and any statements to the contrary are not acceptable."

The statement did not mention any punishment for Brown. The Fox Sports report did note that Brown is preparing to embark on a two-week overseas tour to visit U.S. military members.

Brown (18-11), an exciting knockout artist and a winner of six straight fights, was scheduled to face Carlos Condit in December, but was forced off the card after suffering herniated discs in his back. 

Brown's podcast, "Legit Man S***," has been pulled from SoundCloud. Last week's episode, in which Brown made the comments, was the first and, quite plausibly, only edition ever of "Legit Man S***."

The full sentence about women's MMA was part of a larger rant about women, and though the comments were likely made in jest, it is also clear why they were offensive to some listeners. 

"I just think this," Brown said on the podcast. "If I'm [going] to pay $60 for a pay-per-view to watch women fight they should at least be topless."

Last year, the UFC suspended two of its fighters, Matt Mitrione and Nate Diaz, for making offensive comments that caused public backlash. After Mitrione's comments, which attacked transgendered fighter Fallon Fox, the UFC created a code of conduct for its fighters.