"20 mil to watch" - Derek Brunson takes shots at Noche UFC 306 for not living up to hype

Noche UFC 306 was a spectacle for all fans in the Sphere on Sept. 14 but not everyone was impressed by the event. Former UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson was among the first to criticize the fight card for its lack of action, especially given the production cost.

Brunson pointed his criticism at the two title fights at the end of the card, referring to them as two "wrestling matches." The 40-year-old pointed out the irony that the UFC spent $20 million on the event for the final two fights to not meet expectations.

Brunson tweeted:

"20 mil to watch 2 wrestling matches is crazy"

The two title fights at the end of the night both saw wrestling-heavy game plans executed to perfection as both Valentina Shevchenko and Merab Dvalishvili became new titleholders in their respective fights. Shevchenko landed eight takedowns in her fight with Dvalishvili flooring Sean O'Malley six times.

While many, including Dana White, were critical of the lack of action in both fights, the post was fairly ironic coming from Brunson, who is known as one of the most wrestling-heavy fighters in MMA. Throughout his 11-year career in the UFC, the former collegiate wrestler averaged 3.14 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Derek Brunson retracts criticism, complements Merab Dvalishvili and Valentina Shevchenko

Just minutes after he seemingly criticized Noche UFC 306 for the final two fights of the night displaying a lot of wrestling, Derek Brunson retracted his statement, saying he was "just trolling."

Brunson said he actually likes to see fighters "mix it up" and called Noche UFC 306 an "excellent card."

While Brunson was a traditional company man while in the UFC, he left the organization in 2023 after losing to Dricus du Plessis and signed with the PFL. Since then, he has been vocal on social media in his support for his new organization.