Derek Brunson is not impressed with Israel Adesanya. He has made this abundantly clear to his followers on social media, to Adesanya, and Monday on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, he continued to advertise his low opinion of the “Style Bender” based on his assessment of Adesanya’s past performances:
“He got a split decision to the Vetorri kid, which I thought he lost,” Brunson said. “You guys said he won; I thought he lost that fight. Before that, his first fight, he got taken down twice…he’s just doing athletic stuff: scrambling, rolling across his head, just to get up. Like, I’m not impressed by this kid. His striking is OK. He’s long, which is the best thing that he’s got going for him. He doesn’t hit hard…so I mean…this is the fight I like for sure, one of the easier matchups I had in the UFC.”
Derek Brunson was also not impressed with Adesanya’s latest performance against Brad Tavares, a fight many believe was Adesanya’s coming out party of sorts:
“I think Brad was supposed to be out of the fight. He was injured,” Brunson began. “He didn’t look like himself. And Brad’s like a technical kickboxer…very technical. Everybody’s like, oh, he’s a wrestler. Brad’s not a wrestler. Brad didn’t wrestle in college. He didn’t wrestle in high school. Not impressed by that.”
Asked what he said to Adesanya’s during the faceoffs at the UFC’s 25th Anniversary Press Conference, Brunson was not shy in disclosing his side of the conversation:
“I told him that’s it,” Brunson said. That’s it for him. I’m gonna ruin his hype. He should’ve shut his mouth. I’m not really the guy that you want to talk to. He probably would’ve been better off fighting somebody like Jacare or somebody else who he can outpoint from the outside. But I’m not a guy that’s just gonna let you dictate or do whatever you want to. And even some of those guys…like Brad Tavares kind of lost his spirits during the fight.”
As for Adesanya’s next fight, Derek Brunson is ensuring that he gives Adesanya his first loss, which includes digging into Adesanya’s losses in another sport:
“And I have some guys that I think I’m gonna bring into came that beat him…like, the guy who beat him twice, one guy who knocked him out in Glory and the other guy who beat him last. I’ve been communicating with those guys. I’m gonna bring them into camp. We’re gonna be plenty ready for this fight.”
Envisioning a knockout of Adesanya, Brunson had parting questions for Adesanya and the MMA media that he believes has overhyped Adesanya:
“The funny part is, what are you gonna say, what’s gonna happen…I’m not even gonna say ‘if,” I’ll start with ‘when,’ and then I’ll put ‘if” I knock you out and you’re a kickboxer? What’s gonna happen then? Ariel, what are you gonna do? What are you gonna say to him?”
What do you think about Derek Brunson’s comments? Is Adesanya overhyped?
