Report: Former Coach Alleged to Have Assaulted Welterweight Matt Brown Following UFC 198

Hours after submitting to a Demian Maia rear-naked choke at UFC 198, Matt Brown’s trip to Brazil took an even darker turn.

Brown on Sunday was allegedly assaulted by former Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Rodrigo Botti at his hotel in Curitiba. MMAFighting.com was first to report the incident. Botti is alleged to have attacked Brown from behind before fleeing the scene. According to the report, a friend of the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight caught up to Botti outside the hotel, where a fight ensued.

“UFC is aware that welterweight contender Matt Brown was allegedly attacked today by a former acquaintance at the UFC 198 host hotel in Curitiba, Brazil,” UFC officials said in statement released to MMAFighting. “UFC has been in communication with local authorities to gather more information relative to the alleged attack, and is reviewing security measures at the hotel. Fortunately, Brown was uninjured in the situation and will return home to the United States later today as planned.”

UFC analyst Brian Stann tweeted about the incident: “Random fan runs into hotel, hits Matt Brown, and runs. Matt’s friend catches him. Wow.” Brown’s wife, Colleen, then revealed the alleged attacker’s identity on Twitter: “Not a random fan who attacked Matt. It was Rodrigo Botti who is an absolute psycho.”

A spokesman for the Curitiba Police Department told MMAFighting that Botti had decided to press assault charges against Brown’s friend, whom he identified as Vinicius Lemos. Botti will be examined by doctors on Monday, police said. Brown, meanwhile, has not pressed charges against Botti, according to police.

Brown’s UFC 198 experience can only be described as forgettable. He flashed his middle fingers at onlookers during the weigh-in on Friday before being struck at least three times by fans during his walk to the Octagon a day later. Brown then tapped to a Maia choke in the third round of their welterweight prelim.