Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown says he has “toyed” with the idea of competing in combat sports once his professional basketball career is finished.
Brown, 29, told reporters at the NBA All-Star Game media day on Saturday that he has even talked with UFC CEO Dana White, who is an avid Celtics fan, on the matter.
“To be honest, I’ve toyed with this and I’ve talked to some people,” said Brown, who has training in Muay Thai. “Maybe post part of my career, I’d love to partake in something like UFC or even boxing. I’ve talked to Dana White about some stuff, but we’ll see as things go on. We’ll see.”
White said he “thought Jaylen was messing with me” initially but noted that the NBA star seems serious.
“He’s … training at the [UFC PI], the last couple days he was over there working on his Muay Thai,” White said. “I think it’s awesome these guys want to try and fight.”
Brown is a five-time NBA All-Star and the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is also an avid MMA fan who has attended multiple UFC events and has said he frequently shows his team fight footage as teaching tools.
