Derek Brunson likes that in the PFL, winning solves everything.
Brunson (23-9) signed with PFL after parting ways with the UFC. The 39-year-old makes his promotional debut at 2023 PFL Championships on Nov. 24 when he takes on Ray Cooper III (25-8-1) in a middleweight bout at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.
Despite stringing together five-fight winning streaks on two different occasions in the UFC, Brunson never fought for the title. He likes the tournament format of PFL, where he only has to worry about winning.
“They’ve got the $1 million tournament – guys stay busy,” Brunson told MMA Junkie Radio. “There’s no lobbying for what you want. You go out and get it. UFC, man – I think in some of these title eliminators, I was on these huge five-fight winning streaks twice and I never got a title shot. Right after the fight, I felt like, ‘OK, I win this one, I get a title shot,’ and I didn’t get it and I felt kind of dejected, lacking motivation. I wasn’t getting up for the fights where now, I’ve got a new motivation.”
A UFC belt would have been nice for Brunson’s career, but he would rather get an opportunity at $1 million.
“Give me the million dollars every day of the week,” Brunson said. “I can go out here, fight a couple of times, get my million, and just chill for a little bit, recover. So, yeah, I definitely like that format – and it goes back to I don’t have to lobby for anything. All I have to do is just win fights.
“I can knock somebody out, I can submit somebody, I can win an ugly fight. But at the end of the day, I move on and advance, and I can improve in the next fight. I don’t have to, ‘Oh it wasn’t a great fight, so maybe I have to fight another one.’ I don’t have to do all that. I just go out there and win.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championships.
