Matt Brown Likely to Face Former Strikeforce Champ Tarec Saffiedine Next

Following his victory over Mike Pyle at UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston, Matt Brown didn’t call out one specific fighter; he called out everyone in the Top 10.

And it now looks like his request will be fulfilled.

UFC president Dana White confirmed to Fox Sports that Brown’s next opponent is going to be former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine.

White hasn’t revealed a prospective date or location because it is still dependent upon Saffiedine gaining medical clearance for an undisclosed injury that thwarted his promotional debut, which had been slated for July.

Saffiedine (14-3) is currently on a four-fight winning streak that includes victories over UFC veterans Scott Smith, Roger Bowling and Nate Marquardt. The bout over Marquardt earned Saffiedine the Strikeforce welterweight belt. He holds the distinction of being the final man to do so.

Brown (18-11), including the victory over Pyle, has won six consecutive bouts. That followed a spell where he went 1-4 and was on the verge of losing his spot on the UFC roster.

He turned a corner after losing to Seth Baczynski, however. In his six-fight streak, he has finished five of his six opponents by way of knockout.

A victory over Saffiedine would go a long way towards elevating Brown into serious title talk, but it would also do the same for the former Strikeforce champion.

Saffiedine believes he’ll be ready to fight before the end of the year, but for now, we’ll have to wait and see when the fight comes to fruition.

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