UFC middleweight contender hints at upcoming fight news as he begins diet
The UFC middleweight division has lately witnessed several intriguing developments, particularly in its upper echelons. Earlier this month, Israel Adesanya avenged his 2022 TKO defeat against Alex Pereira.
Adesanya faced 'Poatan' in a rematch for the UFC middleweight title on April 8. 'Izzy' knocked his Brazilian foe out cold in round two to recapture the middleweight belt. Meanwhile, a top middleweight contender, who happens to be Adesanya's former opponent, has now hinted that he could return to the octagon soon.
Middleweight mainstay Derek Brunson has taken to Twitter to suggest that he's likely to make an announcement regarding his next fight soon. That implies that Brunson has commenced preparations for his next fight. He tweeted:
"Back to the healthy eating"
Back to the healthy eating 🍽️ https://t.co/AyrtRjHGQl
Derek Brunson holds the No. 8 position in the UFC middleweight rankings. The 39-year-old has competed in MMA since May 2010. The American MMA stalwart is widely regarded as one of the best grapplers in the middleweight division.
Brunson holds KO/TKO victories over the likes of Uriah Hall, Dan Kelly and Lyoto Machida. Moreover, he put together an impressive win streak, which was also his most recent one, from May 2019 to September 2021. That included wins over several notable fighters: Elias Theodorou, Ian Heinisch, Edmen Shahbazyan, Kevin Holland and Darren Till.
Top-tier UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson ponders move to light heavyweight
It remains unclear whether Brunson faces reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill for his title next. Many believe that former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka could be the ideal opponent Hill could be booked against. Nevertheless, Prochazka is still on hiatus owing to injury issues.
Additionally, Hill's next opponent and comeback date haven't been announced yet. Speaking of which, longtime middleweight elite Derek Brunson recently hinted that he could move up to the light heavyweight division. The consensus is that the veteran Brunson might look to make a title run at light heavyweight.
Nevertheless, Brunson recently posted a tweet, insinuating that he probably isn't retiring and that he would instead compete in the light heavyweight (205-pound) weight class. Alluding to a potential move to light heavyweight, Brunson simply tweeted:
"LHW "
LHW 🤔
Derek Brunson's most recent fight saw him suffer a vicious second-round TKO defeat against Dricus du Plessis in a middleweight (185-pound) bout in March. After losing to Du Plessis, the wrestling savant indicated that he might retire from MMA.