Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight contender Derek Brunson, who turns 38 in just a few months, is now the winner of four straight, taking out the likes of Edmen Shahbazyan and Kevin Holland along the way.
Brunson (22-7) didn’t work his way to No. 7 in the official 185-pound rankings by giving his opponents room to breathe, and he doesn’t plan on changing that strategy against Darren Till in the UFC Vegas 36 main event this Sat. night (Sept. 4) in Las Vegas.
“I know he’s going to be worried about [takedowns]. If he’s not, he better be,” Brunson told MMA Fighting. “That’s definitely going to open up some things. That’s the thing about being a complete martial artist and continuing to work on your skill set, you can be a threat in all different areas. That’s the part of the gameplan, making sure we’re a threat everywhere. Just making it count.”
The winner of Brunson vs. Till will find themselves atop a very short list of 185-pound title contenders, though another high-stakes fight may be on the menu. That’s because Israel Adesanya isn’t expected to defend his division title against former champion Robert Whittaker until early 2022.
“I know what I’ve got to do to get it done,” Brunson continued. “The funny thing about it is I’m not as crazy as an underdog as I was in my last three or four fights so that’s funny to me. I know what I’ve got to get done. I know what’s in front of me. I know where Darren Till’s good. He’s a game opponent. Pretty much go back to that wrestling thing — I’ve got to break him. That’s just it.”
To see who else is fighting at UFC Vegas 36 click here.