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Derek Brunson refutes claims that Anderson Silva is past his prime
BROOKLYN — Derek Brunson is no fool.
The No. 8 ranked middleweight is just days away from fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 208 as the legendary former champion looks to get his first win since 2012.
Now it probably sounds absurd to think that Silva — arguably the greatest UFC champion in the history of the sport — hasn't won a fight in five years, but that's exactly what his resume reads ahead of his return to action this weekend in Brooklyn.
A closer examination of that record starts to reveal a few blemishes with the five-year winless streak, including Silva breaking his leg in a rematch with Chris Weidman, a victory over Nick Diaz overturned after he tested positive for banned substances, a near knockout over Michael Bisping at the end of a round that could have potentially stopped the fight and stepping up to face light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier on two days notice at UFC 200.
That's why Brunson isn't buying into the story that Silva is somehow past his prime and walking into their fight during the twilight of his career. Silva's last five fights may read as 0-4 with one no contest, but Brunson refuses to approach this matchup like he's facing a haggard, nearly retired version of a once great champion.
"Honestly, I think Anderson is still the same Anderson," Brunson told FOX Sports. "Everybody's saying 'oh he's slowing down, he's past his prime'. Yes, but even past his prime, he's still faster than 90 percent of the division. His techniques are still there. He fought [Daniel] Cormier, he was completely out of shape, I think he got out of surgery like three weeks before. So he's going up a weight class and just gets ragdolled and that's understandable when you come in out of shape.
"We're not going to see that same kind of Anderson. I'm not expecting that type of Anderson. He lost to [Chris] Weidman the first time, I'm not going to say he was playing with him cause that's his style, dropping his hands, but he won't do that with me. He's not going to stick his chin out at me. I have the quickness to combat that. I don't think you're going to see any of the stuff he did against [Michael] Bisping, hanging against the cage with his hands down. He's not going to do that. You're going to see a top of the game Anderson Silva."
Silva may be past 40 and it's been nearly four years since he entered a title fight as the reigning middleweight champion, but underestimating a true legend of the sport is one mistake Brunson refuses to make.
"I am not buying into it. Not one bit," Brunson said. "If he's past his prime, let it show on the night. I'm not buying that."
The fight with Silva comes at a very important time in Brunson's career as he looks to regain momentum after suffering a knockout loss to Robert Whittaker in his last trip to the Octagon. On that night, Brunson was riding a five-fight win streak with four first-round knockouts, and he expected to dish out the same kind of punishment to Whittaker.
In fact, Brunson says he got so wrapped up in finishing his opponents in record fashion that he started putting time limits on himself to get a knockout and that ultimately led to him throwing caution to the wind with an offensive onslaught that rarely offers him any defensive capabilities whatsoever.
Brunson knows that style won't work against someone as accurate and deadly as Silva, who feasts on fighters willing to charge at him with reckless abandon.
"I was riding a hot wave out there just knocking guys out and setting time limits trying to get them out in the first round. Now I'm past that," Brunson explained. "The bully style isn't going to work anymore. Even in my previous fights, I set it up better. Against Uriah Hall that was definitely not running, that was not rushed. I jabbed, backed him up and walked him right into a hook. That was well set up.
"With Anderson, you've definitely got to be more composed. I've seen fights of his where he didn't even throw a punch until like two minutes left in the first round. He's waiting for you to be impatient and waiting to counter. I'm going to match his patience out there."
Brunson's approach may not appease fans on the surface, but he can ill afford a second loss in a row, especially on a stage as big as this one against a future UFC Hall of Famer like Silva.
Unlike his last few fights where Brunson wanted to get in and out of the cage in less than five minutes, he's planning for a much different kind of attack but still wants the same devastating ending.
"The way I'm approaching this fight, I don't give a damn if it's boring," Brunson said. "I'm getting my hand raised. My last seven fights, I've got four knockouts and two 'Fight of the Nights'. It doesn't get any better than that. Show me anybody in MMA with that resume in the last three or four years. I think I owe myself one to get my hand raised.
"I've got the dynamite in my hands so I definitely can [knock him out]. Anytime I touch someone's chin, I can definitely get the knockout. I'm just going to be patient with it. It's going to be much more calculated than actually forcing it in a firefight."
