December 25, 2024

Derek Brunson Doesn’t Expect Anderson Silva to Showboat at UFC 208

A middleweight bout between future Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer Anderson Silva and Derek Brunson is set for UFC 208. The event will be held inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Feb. 11.

Brunson took to MMAFighting.com’s “The MMA Hour” (via MMAMania.com) to discuss his upcoming fight with “The Spider.” The Jackson-Wink MMA fighter isn’t counting on catching Silva with his hands down while taunting:

“I don’t expect him out there dropping his hands, pulling his head back because if one of these punches catches you on the chin, it’s lights out. I expect the best Anderson Silva and I don’t think he will play with me, I don’t think he will toy with me like he does other guys because I can explode in and touch his chin. All it takes is one shot and I am sure his camp is like, ‘This guy can crack you.”

The confidence Brunson has in his power isn’t unfounded. Of his 16 professional wins, eight of them have come by knockout. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that half of his knockouts have been against UFC competition.

Brunson believes Silva has respect for his power. Despite his antics against Chris Weidman in their first encounter, Silva won’t be showboating if things go the way Brunson sees it.

“He’s not going to be doing what he did against Weidman. And he won’t be doing what he looked like he did against Cormier. He had nothing to lose against Cormier, so he went into that fight completely out of shape.”

UFC 208’s main event will feature the inaugural women’s featherweight title bout. Former women’s 135-pound title holder Holly Holm will look to capture a second UFC title when she meets Germaine de Randamie. Plus, Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will battle Tim Boetsch.

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