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UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson believes he should be next in line for a title shot if he can finish Darren Till.
Derek Brunson has enjoyed his new role of being 'the spoiler' over the course of the last few fights. He's picked up a string of wins that have vaulted him back into the top-five conversation.
Many don’t expect him to go on to challenge Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title. However, the fact that it’s even a possibility serves as a welcome surprise for a fighter many were ready to write off after 'The Last Stylebender' dispatched of him at Madison Square Garden.
Brunson is now preparing for a main event fight against Darren Till this weekend. Ahead of his latest clash, Derek Brunson has made his case for why he thinks he should be the next challenger after Robert Whittaker, providing he can beat 'The Gorilla', of course.
Speaking to BT Sport, Brunson revealed he's targeting a finish against the Liverpudlian.
“Oh yeah for sure, that’s what I’m looking at also [a potential title shot]. I’m looking to impress, look to get a finish and then yeah, definitely I can sit and wait, and after Israel and Whittaker fight, I think I should definitely be next. Four fights in a row, that’ll be five, so yeah.”
You can catch the full interview between Derek Brunson and BT Sport below:
Derek Brunson vs. Israel Adesanya 2?
While there may not have been that much conviction from Derek Brunson in what he was saying, actions tend to speak louder than words in the UFC.
If he can beat Darren Till with a nice finish, get on the mic and really stick it to Adesanya with a fun callout, then the champ may be forced to continue his recent trend of rematches.
Adesanya has said that he wants to try and “lap” the division before taking another crack at light heavyweight. And Derek Brunson is the kind of guy who has earned the right to get back to the big time.
It’s foolish to underestimate Darren Till in a scenario like this, especially given some of the wins we’ve seen him have in the past. However, in equal measure, Derek Brunson is a bad stylistic match-up for him and that could become clear quite quickly on Saturday night.
