Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight contender
Derek
Brunson had his reasons for choosing to move on from the Las
Vegas-based promotion to the Professional Fighters League.
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Brunson was initially slated to face Roman
Dolidze at UFC 295 on Nov. 11 in New York. However, halfway
through September, Brunson’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, confirmed that
the UFC and “The One” had mutually parted ways.
Brunson is now signed with the PFL, where he will face two-time
welterweight champion Ray Cooper
III in his promotional debut on Nov. 24.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Brunson
shared why he chose to leave the Las Vegas-based promotion and
eventually join the PFL.
“It just didn’t work out, you know,” Brunson said. “I don’t know,
PFL is just a great opportunity for me, a new challenge, new
venture, I’m motivated. I would say with the UFC, just being on
these streaks and not getting my title shot, which I felt I
deserved. I was on two five-fight winning streaks and I never got
the title shot. Even back in the day, I had guys who were champions
that wouldn’t accept the fight against me so it kind of left me in
no man’s land and fight like a title eliminator. But yeah man, new
motivation, new venture for me.”
Brunson is currently on a two-fight losing streak. Both bouts ended
with “The One” getting finished in Round 2, first against Jared
Cannonier in February 2022 followed by Dricus Du
Plessis in March 2023. The 39-year-old plans on moving up to
light heavyweight and competing for the $1 million tournament prize
once he’s done with his PFL debut at middleweight.