Derek Brunson will get a chance to score some sweet revenge on Ronaldo Souza when the two talented middleweights square off for the second time at the upcoming UFC on FOX 27 event on January 27, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Jacare” initially defeated Derek way back in 2012, knocking him out in the very first round under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner. A lot has changed since then, as Brunson says he is no longer just a wrestler with no striking.
“When I fought him before, I was fresh out of college, right when I first started fighting. So I came in as a straight wrestler and it takes a long time to develop your boxing skills, your muay thai skills, to not over-extend yourself when you punch, but actually being able to throw a punch and not leave yourself in danger is a key point,” said Brunson in an interview with Culture.
“I’m a different fighter in that aspect. I’ve been able to knock guys out clean here recently because I’ve been able to find that mix, to find that happy medium.”
With Georges St-Pierre vacating the Middleweight strap and Michael Bisping gearing up for retirement, there is one less contender in a stacked division. For Brunson, it’s a chance to squeeze his way into the front of the title picture should he score a win over “Jacare,” which would be his third win in a row.
And asking for a title shot is definitely on his agenda.
“Now that George St-Pierre has vacated the middleweight title, in February they’re having [interim champ] Luke Rockhold fight Robert Whittaker, the guy who was the former champ before GSP vacated,” said Derek, who will be fighting in his home state for the first time in a long time.
“They’re fighting down in Australia. So this is definitely a good fight for me to let the UFC know that I deserve that next title shot after that,” he concluded.
Currently ranked No. 8 on the official UFC rankings, Derek is fresh off two first-round knockouts wins over Dan Kelly and Lyoto Machida (see it). Should he get through Souza, a boost up the rankings will definitely be in order.
Whether or not it will be drastic enough of a leap to warrant taking on the winner of Robert Whittaker and Luke Rockhold — who are set to duke it out at UFC 221 on February 11 — remains to be seen.