Derek Brunson just secured a massive victory as he set foot inside the PFL cage. That’s right, after splitting away from the UFC, Brunson has found his place in the roster of the promotion. And with his sheer strength and skill, even awed the MMA world with a stunning performance.
He dominated his opponent. A two-time former champion Ray Cooper III fell to Brunson in just about every single round. The match almost felt one-sided with Brunson being at the top of his game the whole time. Now, fans of the MMA world are reacting to it. Here are some of the best reactions.
Fans can’t keep it cool over Derek Brunson winning his debut
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It was a wrestler’s paradise for Derek Brunson. Lots of ground and pound and a lot of grappling. He didn’t let go of his opponent and ensured he was winning round by round. In fact, he managed to secure 30-25 scorecards as well. Here are some of the best reactions from X.
PFL you have a Khabib #PFLWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/sZvnbqJhpW
— Ben Davis (@BenTheBaneDavis) November 25, 2023
While some compared him to the legendary undefeated UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, others called for USADA.
USADA free Brunson is a monster. #PFLWorldChampionship
— Milo of Croton (@tajikbay) November 25, 2023
Yet others reminded everyone of the official scorecards.
OFFICIAL:
30-27
30-25
30-25Derek Brunson def. Ray Cooper III via unanimous decision #PFLWorldChampionship
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) November 25, 2023
Should he fight Johnny Eblen next?
Size, strength, and cardio powered Derek Brunson to a landslide unanimous victory over Ray Cooper III. A fight between Brunson and Bellator middleweight champ Johnny Eblen wouldn't be a bad next assignment. #PFLWorldChampionship
— Simon Head (@simonheadsport) November 25, 2023
Others recalled how Brunson hadn’t taken a win in a while.
Derek Brunson gets his first win in over two years on his PFL debut. 👏👏👏#PFLWorldChampionship
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) November 25, 2023
Clearly, his landslide victory has brought a great and pleasant surprise to the MMA community. The question is, can he do it all over again? If the answer is yes, Brunson wanted no other than Jake Paul next. “I came here to ball, where the hell is Jake Paul? I came here for the big fights. Next time we’re going to look for the finish.” He said in the post-fight interview. Will Paul get to accept his challenge?
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Why does Brunson want Paul?
Derek Brunson has had his eyes out for Jake Paul for a while now. And even Paul has reciprocated with a wish to fight Brunson. However, in spite of having fought Nate Diaz, the PFL boxer was not allowed to go against Brunson. The reason? The UFC. But now, Brunson is free of the UFC.
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“Jake Paul is now with the PFL, we’ve got a bit of history. He asked Dana to fight me a couple years ago, so that’s a possibility. People saw me going over to the PFL and thought the timetable was there and it was perfect.” He had said in a previous interview. Now he’s called out the boxer up front. Will the two get to meet in the squared circle? Only time will tell.
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