Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC 208: Anderson Silva Returns to Fight Derek Brunson

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:42 p.m. ET

Fansided, Danny Doherty/FanSided via Cage Pages

In what is being called a “card saver”, the legendary Anderson Silva will return to the Octagon at UFC 208 to fight Derek Brunson.

UFC President Dana White announced the matchup on Twitter.

It will be the past vs. the near-future in Brooklyn, with one of the MMA GOATs taking on the powerful finishing machine Derek Brunson. It has been all quiet for Anderson Silva since losing a very short-notice bout against light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in July 2016, while Brunson looks to rebound from a tough loss to fellow rising middleweight Robert Whittaker in November.

Stylistically, these two could not be further apart. Anderson Silva is one of the greatest counter-strikers ever, and has simply refused to engage at times if his opponent is not leading. Derek Brunson, on the other hand, recklessly pushes forward with haymakers with little regard for defense.

Anderson Silva is the promotion’s record-holder for most consecutive title defenses with 10. How long he will hold that record remains to be seen with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson currently sitting on nine defenses of his belt. Silva’s highlight reel KOs over Chris Leben, Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, and more will be shown for years to come.

“The Spider” has not won a fight since 2012 after his 2015 win over Nick Diaz was overturned due to a failed drug test. The Brazilian holds quite a few Octagon records, including longest win streak at 16, and most knockdowns with 17.

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Derek Brunson burst onto the scene after a relatively quiet 3-1 start to his Octagon career. With four consecutive knockouts over the likes of Sam Alvey, Roan Carneiro, and Uriah Hall, Brunson took a step up when he faced Robert Whittaker. It was a wild fight, as most Brunson fights are, until late in the first round when Whittaker put down Brunson with a head kick and follow-up punches.

Anderson Silva sits at seventh in Cage Pages’ middleweight rankings, while Brunson comes in at eighth.

UFC 208 is headlined by the inaugural women’s featherweight championship between Holly Holm and Germaine De Randamie. The event takes place on February 11 at the Barclays Center of Brooklyn, New York.