Derek Brunson
Active 2012–present · rated in 3 editions · peak overall 82.0
Scouting report
First-round knockout power and an NCAA Division II All-American wrestling base propelled Derek Brunson to a top-five fixture at middleweight. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Brunson put together a late-career five-fight winning streak with stoppage wins over Uriah Hall, Lyoto Machida, and Edmen Shahbazyan, his power reflected in an 89 Wrestling score and 80 Boxing.
Peak ratings
By edition
Brunson compiled a four-fight first-round knockout streak between 2015 and 2016, stopping Ed Herman, Sam Alvey, Roan Carneiro, and Uriah Hall in Hidalgo, before dropping scraps to Robert Whittaker and Anderson Silva and knocking out Dan Kelly and Lyoto Machida in Sao Paulo. His left hand and NCAA Division II wrestling base are reflected in an 82 Boxing and 87 Wrestling.
In 2018 and 2019, Brunson dropped stoppage defeats to Ronaldo Souza and Israel Adesanya, before rebounding with consecutive decision victories over Elias Theodorou in Ottawa and rising prospect Ian Heinisch at UFC 241 in Anaheim. His wrestling control, ground-and-pound, and takedown entries anchor his 81 Boxing and 86 Wrestling.
Brunson authored a five-fight winning streak between 2020 and 2021, knocking out undefeated prospect Edmen Shahbazyan, dominating Kevin Holland over five rounds, and submitting Darren Till with a third-round rear-naked choke in Las Vegas. His double-leg takedowns, top riding, and veteran composure justify his 80 Boxing and 89 Wrestling.
Derek Brunson: a Division II wrestler with a left hand that ends fights
Derek Brunson wrestled at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American, and worked as a therapist before fighting professionally. He won his debut in 2010 by rear-naked choke in under a minute. In December 2012 he took a short-notice fight with Chris Leben as a heavy underdog and won a unanimous decision with wrestling. Years later he stopped Uriah Hall and Lyoto Machida in the first round, and beat Darren Till by choke in 2021.
What Brunson's numbers say
Boxing. Rated 80. His left hook dropped Uriah Hall in 2016, and a straight left dropped Dan Kelly in 2017.
Kickboxing. Rated 73. He did land a head kick on Brian Houston in 2013 before finishing him with a choke.
Wrestling. Rated 89. It is the base that beat Leben on debut and won him unanimous decisions over Elias Theodorou, Ian Heinisch and Kevin Holland.
BJJ. Underrated. He submitted Houston with a rear-naked choke in 2013 and Till in 2021.
Strength. A strong middleweight rated 85.
Durability. Fair. He was finished by Robert Whittaker in 2016 and Israel Adesanya in 2018, both in the first round.
Cardio. Better than his early record suggested. He was winning the first two rounds against Yoel Romero in 2014 before being stopped in the third.
Fight IQ. Rated 82. He took his debut against Chris Leben on short notice and won.
Wrestling at 89 is the engine
Wrestling is his top rating at 89, and his background matches it. He was a college All-American three times and went into MMA with a real base. In this edition it is the tool that can neutralize opposing strikers and give his power a chance to matter. It also gave him the platform to beat Leben on short notice in his first fight in the big promotion.
Kickboxing at 73 shows in the losses
Kickboxing is his lowest rating at 73, and his losses show a pattern of getting caught by strikers in a hurry. Whittaker stopped him in the first round in 2016, Ronaldo Souza did the same in 2018, and Adesanya stopped him in the first round later that year. Later, Jared Cannonier and Dricus du Plessis finished him in 2022 and 2023.
Keep exploring
Closest middleweight profiles to Derek Brunson, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Yushin Okamibest wrestling 84 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Tim Kennedybest wrestling 84 · weakest kickboxing 75
- Mark Munozbest wrestling 88 · weakest kickboxing 68
- David Branchbest bjj 84 · weakest kickboxing 74
- Middleweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Derek Brunson's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Derek Brunson into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Derek Brunson is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Derek Brunson's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.