Derek Brunson
UFC 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 81 Wrestling score and 85 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 1:41 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.
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Ratings shown are our own, built from independent research and from how Derek Brunson is regarded by the MMA community, with the EA Sports UFC games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Derek Brunson's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below.