“Went 3 rounds without tiring” – Derek Brunson sends PFL roster a menacing warning after dominant win over Ray Cooper III

Former UFC veteran Derek Brunson shoots out blank absolution, after his victory at PFL debut.

“Went 3 rounds without tiring” – Derek Brunson sends PFL roster a menacing warning after dominant win over Ray Cooper III

Derek Brunson, who scored a unanimous win in his PFL debut, aspires for more victories (Source: Twitter)

Derek Brunson, who recently made a transition from UFC, won his debut PFL matchup. Going up against Ray Cooper III, the UFC veteran lobbied a 30-25 (X2) and 30-27 unanimous win in his favor. Defeating the former two-time PFL welterweight champion in the 185lbs main headliner, Brunson thus went on to issue a stern message. He mentioned of his will and aspirations, post-performance. These, included the likes of Jake Paul.

Despite a brief instance where Cooper connected with a good punch in the opening round of the bout, Brunson won easily. He dominated with a good stance and grappling. Brunson executed flawless ground-and-pounds, flooring the opponent on multiple occasions.

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His ground game, grapple style, and even kicks have been largely praised. Fans have naturally gotten excited about his corresponding callout to Jake Paul, who is currently dabbling in MMA styles within PFL itself. Taking to X, afterward, he wrote:

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PFL recap: spinning s**t, I had fun fighting once again. I ran 10-15 miles for the last 8 weeks. I went 3 rounds without tiring. We can build on that! Inch by inch #PFL blonde brunson undefeated. Thank you DC, the crowd was great. I felt at home...

With the lopsided victory, the 24-9 fighter thus took to Twitter to proclaim that the experience was anything but daunting. He nudged in that he went through the rounds without tiring.

Given his victory, the fighter wants to build on that and stretch his legacy forward. Many fans, peers, and sports pundits have critically acclaimed the performance, and termed it a “sheer beatdown”.

Brunson has also cued in the emotive that it “feels good to be in the PFL”. He has commended the opponent on being a tough fighter. The former UFC fighter is thus excited about the future, and a chance at influencer-boxer Paul.

Derek Brunson calls out Jake Paul

Former two-time welterweight champion Ray Cooper III returned in the opening bout of the PPV card. This featured the hyped PFL championship. Cooper III won the 2019 welterweight world title, advancing past Sadibou Sy, Chris Curtis, and David Michaud in the playoffs that year.

His opponent was MMA veteran Derek Brunson, who made his PFL debut, successfully. Brunson won by way of a unanimous decision.

Derek Brunson makes jovial disclosure of fight prize, and calls out Jake Paul again, in string of events after victory
Derek Brunson makes jovial disclosure of fight prize, and calls out Jake Paul again, in a string of events after victory (Source: Twitter)

After the fight, the middleweight contender expressed his wish to face influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Paul himself is also a new signage in the promotion. Paul, who is famed for his crossover bouts, is undoubtedly a big name within the roster.

The boxer has recently requested a few months to train in MMA styles, for an upcoming fight. In a jovial mood, Brunson tweeted about making a substantial sum for the bout. In a similar mood, he also called out Paul, post-fight. He said:

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.

While calling out Paul for his next fight, Brunson may instead get a whole other showdown. The consensus is that it is to be with Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, who was in attendance, cage side.

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