"Life lessons" - Derek Brunson issues statement after KO loss to Jared Cannonier at UFC 271
UFC 271 did not go as planned for Derek Brunson as he suffered a vicious knockout loss against Jared Cannonier.
While reflecting on his fight against 'The Killa Gorilla', Brunson issued a statement after his loss. 'Blonde Brunson', who had a scintillating winning spree in the middleweight division, took to Twitter to say:
"Made a title push . Number 3 vs 4 in the world . I came up short . Life lessons . Im all good , sad but life will give you theses moments . I’ll pick myself up for one more fight . Blessings all."
🏾Made a title push . Number 3 vs 4 in the world . I came up short . Life lessons . Im all good , sad but life will give you theses moments . I’ll pick myself up for one more fight . Blessings all 🙏🏾
Derek Brunson started the fight well, imposing his wrestling on Cannonier and nearly locking in a submission at the end of the first round.
As the fight went on, 'The Killa Gorilla' landed a huge elbow on Brunson, who was visibly wobbled and dazed. Cannonier kept landing thudding shots on the 38-year-old and finally finished him on the ground with vicious elbows.
The fight marked the end of Brunson's five-fight winning streak, which started back in 2019.
Jared Cannonier has put an end to Blonde Brunson’s run! 🦍
@killagorillamma defeats Derek Brunson in the second round! 👏
#UFC271 https://t.co/InyiLTJIyK
What's next for Jared Cannonier after beating Derek Brunson?
A statement victory for Jared Cannonier could mean that 'The Killa Gorilla' will be awarded the title shot. Robert Whittaker failing to capture the middleweight strap against Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 271 could also work in Cannonier's favor.
Cannonier, who endured a decision loss to Whittaker at UFC 254, is now in the ideal spot to face Israel Adesanya for the title.
In the post-fight interview, the 37-year-old didn't shy away from demanding a title shot from UFC president Dana White. A fired-up Cannonier exclaimed:
"Well, I wanna say this while looking Dana in his eye, hey Dana! Look at me, I want that shot next. I get the shot next. Me! And nobody else, me!"
Watch Jared Cannonier's full interview below:
Cannonier is the only top 5 UFC middleweight that Adesanya has not faced in the octagon. 'The Last Stylebender' has defeated every rival he has battled in the middleweight division.