Look no further, Matt Brown is your next challenger

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'll always keep it real; especially when it is deserved. With all the arguments as to who deserves to be the number one contender for Johny Hendricks's UFC welterweight champion, the UFC need look no further because Matt Brown is your next challenger.

Now before anyone starts to say I'm playing favorites because of the photo above, let me set the record straight. I started this off by saying, "I can't believe I'm about to say this;" that's because while I was always felt Matt Brown was a talented fighter, I honestly did not think he would ever be good enough to challenge for or even be in contention for a world title.

Second is, I was never really a big Matt Brown fan. When it comes to the photo above, which was taken at the UFC Expo in 2010, he actually came off a bit standoffish at the time. To his defense, there were a lot of people around asking for photos, but truth is I didn't get that feeling from any other fighter that day other than Jon Jones, which is a whole other story unto himself. Nonetheless, unlike Jon Jones, I went ahead and took the photo with Brown because I respected him as a fighter and where he's come from.

Matt 'The Immortal' Brown (19-11, 12 KO's 5 subs) has openly discussed his past struggles with drugs, yet here he is on a seven fight winning streak in the UFC. He's also coming off an exciting and impressive third round knockout victory on Saturday night over talented Erick Silva in the main event of the latest UFC on FOX card. A non-stop back and forth battle, which saw Brown himself in trouble early and often, but in typical Matt Brown fashion he fought through the storm and found his way standing atop of the mountain yet again.

Take a look at that record, do the math and yes it means at one point two and a half years ago Matt Brown was actually an average (12-11); thus my reasoning I never thought he'd be here. Much credit to my friend Noah Hubbs AKA 'Buffalo Blue', an occasional blogger himself; he's been singing Matt Brown's praises for years now and called this streak way back even when Brown was average at best.

In response to anyone who is looking to throw the following names out as legit challengers before Brown, Rory MacDonald, Tyron Woodley, Dong Hyun Kim, Jake Ellenberger or Robbie Lawler, I'm about to quiet those theories. Granted MacDonald is (6-1) in his last seven, but there is a loss there; two fights ago I might add and the one win since he did not look that impressive at all against Demian Maia. Woodley is only 3-2 in his last five, so what are we talking about here.

Dong Hyun Kim is the only one with a legit stand as he's on a four fight win streak, but only (5-2) in his last seven; last time I checked seven straight is better than both those equations. Finally, Ellenberger and Lawler are both coming off losses, so they shouldn't even be discussed. Any way you slice it Matt Brown is your next challenger and the way he fought Saturday night, I would love to see him in a fight against Johny Hendricks. 'Nuff said!