Conor McGregor vows to surpass Matt Brown’s all-time UFC knockout record; Brown responds

Conor McGregor is coming for everything Matt Brown and Derrick Lewis worked for.

At age 42, Brown pulled into a tie with Lewis for the UFC’s all-time record for most knockouts on Saturday at UFC Charlotte, racking up his 13th career UFC knockout with a devastating first-round finish of Court McGee. Afterward, Brown vowed to continue his UFC journey and one day claim sole possession of the record he shares with “The Black Beast.”

But that won’t happen if McGregor has any say in the matter.

A former two-division UFC champion who holds eight career UFC knockouts at age 34, McGregor set his eyes on stealing the record for himself before his run is done.

“Matt Brown, at 42 years of age, now holds the joint highest KO’s inside the UFC with 13KO’s,” McGregor tweeted after UFC Charlotte. “Him and ‘The Beast’ Lewis are tied. I hold 8 KO’s inside the UFC currently, at 34 years of age. I’m getting this record.”

McGregor has some work to do. The Irishman compiled seven of his eight knockouts during his first four years under the UFC umbrella from 2013-16, but has only one since then — a 2020 knockout of Donald Cerrone that also doubles as McGregor’s most recent win.

McGregor is tentatively expected to return against Michael Chandler sometime in 2023 following the airing of The Ultimate Fighter 31, though a date has yet to be determined.

Brown, on the other hand, has been a much more consistent UFC presence over the course of his 15-year run with the promotion. And he had a simple reply to McGregor’s promise.

“I’ll fight you for it,” Brown tweeted.

Brown also threw out a challenge in jest to Lewis, calling out the 265-pound heavyweight behemoth for a winner-takes-all battle for the knockout record.

“Me vs Derrick Lewis for the record. I’m in. Don’t know how the hell i get it done but I’m willing to give it a go!” Brown tweeted.