Matt Brown gets next UFC assignment, meets Bryan Barberena in December

While his career might be winding down, UFC legend Matt Brown isn’t done yet.

A 13-year UFC veteran, Brown (36-16-1 MMA, 29-16-1 UFC) will step into the octagon for the 29th time when he takes on Bryan Barberena (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC). The bout is scheduled to take place Dec. 4 at a location and venue to be announced.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday following an initial report from MMA DNA. The people asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Brown, 44, is one of the dozen-longest-tenured fighters on the UFC roster. He made his promotional debut in June 2008 at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale when he defeated Matt Arroyo by second-round knockout. Since that time, Brown has fought a who’s who of fighters, including Johny Hendricks, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, and Stephen Thompson.

Entering the fight, Brown is 3-2 in his most recent five, including a violent June knockout victory over Dhiego Lima. Shortly after the win, Brown told MMA Junkie he thought he still has “big things to do” before he retires.

Barberena, 32, meanwhile, is 1-3 in his most recent four fights. Two of those performances, unanimous decision losses to Vicente Luque and Jason Witt, won “Fight of the Night.” Four of his six UFC wins have ended inside the distance.

With the addition, the Dec. 4 lineup includes:

• Rafael Fiziev vs. Brad Riddell

• Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill

• Brendan Allen vs. Brad Tavares

• Mallory Martin vs. Montserrat Ruiz

• Chris Gruetzmacher vs. Claudio Puelles

• Bryan Barberena vs. Matt Brown