After big knockout win at UFC on ESPN 25, Matt Brown down to fight Nick Diaz or Nate Diaz next

LAS VEGAS – Matt Brown is always willing to engage in a big scrap.

Brown (23-18 MMA, 16-12 UFC)  turned in arguably his best performance in years when he knocked out Dhiego Lima in the second round to earn a “Performance of the Night” bonus at UFC on ESPN 25 on Saturday.

The finish put Brown in elite company. He tied Vitor Belfort and Derrick Lewis for the most knockouts in UFC history at 12. When asked about either potentially welcoming Nick Diaz back to the octagon or fighting Nate Diaz, Brown said he’d be open to fighting both.

“I love the Diaz brothers, and of course it would be a big fight,” Brown said at the post-fight news conference. “That’s one of them fights like, if I took it, it wouldn’t be because I dislike the Diazes or anything. I would take it because it’s a big fight and I respect them.”

The 40-year-old has teased retirement in the past, but insists that he still has the drive to compete. Brown has won three of his past five and said he has plenty left in the tank.

“I love fighting – that’s all there is to it,” Brown said. “I just love fighting. It’s just getting a camp together and putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. That just takes more time, so that’s what determines when I’m able to fight, not as much my desire – because my desire is there. I want to come in and do that to a lot of people, what I did tonight.”