10 Things UFC Fans Should Know About Derek Brunson
Sebastian Wright
Published Mar 28, 2026
Derek Brunson has always been an impressive fighter, but few people seem to bring him up when talking about the great middleweight competitors. He hasn’t managed to grab any major championships throughout his career, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t managed to impress people with the heart of a champion.
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While he has lost to the legendary Anderson Silva, he did manage to take down a different legend, Lyoto Machida. He’s taken on the best that the division has to offer, but he has suffered some momentum-crushing losses to some high-profile opponents. He’s been competing for over a decade, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there is a lot that people should know about Derek Brunson.
10 He Was A Cheerleader In High School
A lot of MMA fighters have a long and storied history in athletics. Many compete and even dominate in multiple sports during their youth, and Brunson was no different. Something that does set him apart from many other fighters is that he was an impressive cheerleader.
Anyone who has spent time cheerleading or around those that do cheer will know that it can be an incredibly taxing thing to do. Male cheerleaders need excellent cardio and plenty of strength depending on the complexity of the routines they have to do.
9 His Athletic Career Was Almost Very Different
While Brunson has had a good career, he likely hasn’t reached the heights that he had hoped. Regardless, his entire athletic journey could have been incredibly different had he made a different choice in his youth.
Since he was such an impressive cheerleader and an impressive wrestler, Brunson was offered scholarships for each athletic pursuit. He ultimately chose to go for wrestling, but his career likely would have been entirely different had he chosen cheerleading. Luckily, wrestling worked out as Brunson was a three-time NCAA athlete.
8 None Of His First Six Fights Made It Out Of The First Round
While MMA fans love a good dragged-out brawl, it’s likely that most fighters prefer to end their bouts as quickly as possible. Quick finishes aren’t necessarily rare, but making it out of the first six fights of any career in the first round can be surprising.
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Even more impressive, three of his six fights ended with him knocking his opponents out clean, with one of the knockouts coming in just forty-one seconds. He racked up an additional submission finish and two TKO finishes, one of which only took him 14 seconds.
7 No One Has Ever Submitted Him
Despite Brunson showing that he is an incredibly skilled and strong striker, he’s also got plenty of skills on the ground. His ability to control his opponents and escape touchy situations has made sure that he’s never been submitted throughout his fight career.
To be fair, that’s probably the way his fans like it as he has put on two fight-of-the-night performances and a performance of the night in some of his best brawls. It’s likely hard for most of his opponents to want to grapple with someone as skilled as Brunson.
6 He Was Denied A Fight For A Strange Reason
If there’s one thing that UFC fans can agree on, it’s that the various governing athletic commissions can be a pain. Brunson likely agreed with that sentiment rather early in his career after he was denied the ability to fight after an eye exam.
The reason he was denied a fight was because Ohio has specific rules about competing while wearing eye contacts, something that Brunson did in his bouts. He was able to face his originally scheduled opponent a few weeks later, but not until after a round of Lasik surgery.
5 He Was Supposed To Be On The Ultimate Fighter 17
An often overlooked portion of any fighter's career is everything that goes on behind the scenes. Having a good team sound you to help you make the best decisions possible in regard to contracts is extremely important, and Brunson found that out the hard way.
Brunson was accepted to compete for The Ultimate Fighter and was even ready to begin filming, but he had a previous commitment that wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He had a contract with Showtime that had yet to end, which meant he was unable to take part in the show.
4 He Was A Part Of A Bizarre UFC Bout
Brunson has always been a rather impressive competitor, but it seems like his most famous bout will forever be one that was somewhat bizarre. He met with Kevin Holland in 2021 for a bout that earned a lot of disdain from Dana White.
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The reason the bout was strange was due to the odd behavior from Holland in which he actively asked others at ringside for tips and help with the bout. With that and other strange behavior, Dana White has made his feelings on the bout brutally clear.
3 He Has Had Some Shocking Training Partners
If what Brunson has said about his various training partners is to be believed, it’s almost surprising that he’s had as much success as he has. Fighters strive to train with the best of the best, but that isn’t always possible for those that have a smaller spotlight.
No one likes excuses, but Brunson has blamed losses against the likes of Israel Adesanya on his lackluster training partners. He’s said that those partners include soccer dads, janitors, and even at one time, a homeless person with a supposed past in fighting.
2 He Shares A UFC Accolade With Anderson Silva
As Brunson is typically an underrated athlete, many people may not be aware that he actually shares one of his career accolades with one of the most legendary MMA fighters of all time, Anderson Silva. Brunson's skills in the middleweight division have put him near the top of the all-time competitors for that division.
Alongside both Anderson Silva and also Brad Tavares, Brunson is tied for the second-most wins in UFC Middleweight history. An accolade like that isn’t anything to scoff at, which makes many wonder why Brunson never wound up with any kind of title shot.
1 He Has Stated His Intention To Retire (But May Have Changed His Mind)
Something that Brunson’s fans may be a bit disappointed by is the fact that he has actually set a date for his ultimate retirement from fighting. The saddest thing is that his skills don’t seem to be deteriorating despite a recent loss.
He was recently on a five-fight win streak and three of those fights were events that he headlined. Though he has made his plans clear, he has recently posted a tweet that suggests he may not be going through with his retirement after all. Regardless of his future plans, his biggest fans wish him the best.
