Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Derek Brunson has taken aim at a showdown with YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul following a triumphant Professional Fighters League debut against Ray Cooper III at the 2023 PFL Championships on Friday in Washington, D.C.
Brunson (24-9) signed with the PFL in October after he “mutually” parted ways with the UFC. The North Carolina native entered his first assignment with the company on the heels of back-to-back losses to Jared Cannonier and Dricus Du Plessis inside the Octagon. Brunson rebounded and found his way back into the win column in his catchweight clash with Cooper at The Anthem.
Apart from facing some adversity in the first round, where Cooper staggered him while countering a takedown, Brunson managed to control and beat up the Hawaiian throughout the three-round affair. Judges awarded him 30-27, 30-25 and 30-25 marks on the scorecards. Afterward, Brunson looked forward to partaking in the biggest fights the PFL has to offer. One name, in particular, moved to the forefront. During his post-fight interview, Brunson took the opportunity to call out Paul, who signed a deal with the PFL earlier this year to compete in the promotion’s superfight division.
“I came here to ball. Where the hell is Jake Paul?” Brunson asked. “Hey, I came for the big fights. I want to put PFL on the map. They showed faith in me, brought me over here, signed me, and I want to put on a hell of a show for the fans; and next time, we going to look to come out here and get a finish.”
Paul is currently gearing up for his Dec. 15 boxing match with Andre August. According to PFL Chairman Donn Davis, the 26-year-old expects to make his mixed martial arts debut toward the end of 2024. Should a rematch with Nate Diaz fail to materialize for Paul under the PFL banner, perhaps Brunson could be the man to welcome “The Problem Child” to MMA.
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