Derek Brunson has a new target and his name is Elias Theodorou.
Brunson is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Israel Adesanya last month. It’s Brunson’s second straight defeat. Despite suffering first-round finishes in back-to-back outings, Brunson appears ready to get back on the horse.
Derek Brunson Calls Out Elias Theodorou
Brunson recently spoke to Damon Martin. He explained why the timing is right for a bout with Theodorou:
“This kid Elias Theodorou, he’s one of those guys it’s funny — I’ve stepped up and fought every guy in the division. I’ll step up and fight anyone, anywhere, any time, it does not matter to me but at some point if you’re not getting it done against the top five or top 10 guys, so you need to take a step back and fight somebody else. You have a guy right there who has an opportunity. He’s on a two fight winning streak, he wants to propel his career, he wants to make more money. Are you willing to fight a top 10 guys who’s beaten [Lyoto] Machida, who’s set records in the UFC? Or are you going to sit back and beat a bunch of unranked guys?”
Brunson went on to say that if Theodorou wants to prove he’s at a higher level than his middleweight ranking indicates, then he’ll take the fight:
“He’s one of those guys. Are you looking for a step up for a fight? He doesn’t say anything or ignores it or downplays it. One of his fans said ‘smart fighters pass on fights that don’t have any upside’ but I’ve got quality wins and I’m ranked No. 8 and he’s just in the top 15. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of upside to that. That’s definitely a fight that interests me.”
Do you think Derek Brunson vs. Elias Theodorou makes sense?
