In what was certainly not on anyone’s bingo card for this week, Derek Brunson is no longer on the UFC roster. A mainstay in the middleweight top 10, Brunson’s departure comes as a surprise to many. As such, let’s find out more about what has really transpired.
Previously, Brunson was scheduled to take on Roman Dolidze at UFC 295 on November 11. However, it now appears that ‘The One’ is now out of the bout and out of the UFC as well. Recently, #7 ranked Dolidze revealed that Brunson was out of the bout and chose to call out Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier instead.
❌ Fighter removed: Derek Brunson
— UFC Roster Watch (@UFCRosterWatch) September 14, 2023
Moreover, this was followed by the routine tweet by UFC Roster Watch on X. Soon afterward, Brunson’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz issued a statement on the matter as well.“The last seven years he’s (Derek) been in the top 10 rankings. The UFC was amazing to him there, helped shape who he is today and I’m very grateful for the opportunity he was given. He has to move on and looking forward to what comes next for him.”
Previously, Derek joined the promotion in 2012 after stints at Strikeforce and other regional promotions. Over the years, Brunson has battled some of the toughest names in the division. With that said Ali has hinted at Brunson potentially seeing out the rest of his career in a different promotion.
Derek Brunson’s last five fights in the UFC
Taking to social media, a lot of fans expressed their disappointment after hearing the news. Although he was by no means the most fan-friendly fighter, Brunson had become an iconic meme in the MMA community. Known for his trademark style and pose, the Carolina native had garnered a fanbase of his own.
Despite the bittersweet news, many bade him farewell and wished him the best for his future. Now 39, many fans believe that Brunson has finally decided to call time on his fighting career and retire. Although some believe that it could be due to failed contract negotiations, many feel the writing was on the wall for a while now.
Following his loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 230, Brunson went on a 5-fight winning streak. During this run, Brunso had some big scalps in names like Kevin Holland and Darren Till. However, in his last two fights, Derek was finished by both Jared Cannonier and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 271 and UFC 285 respectively.
All things considered, Brunson enjoyed an illustrious career fighting top middleweight like Anderson Silva, Robert Whittaker, Lyoto Machida, Yoel Romero, Ronaldo Souza, Uriah Hall, and more. Thus, fans and fighters have all wished Derek the best in whatever journey he chooses to embark on next. What did you make of Derek leaving the UFC? Where did he rank in your middleweight list? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.