Derek Brunson has noted that a lot of celebrities have been fighting in boxing matches in recent times. The influx of celebrities into pugilism has had a big impact on the world of combat sports in general, with the Paul brothers leading the show.
Brunson, however, questioned the lack of celebrities willing to compete in MMA, which according to him are the 'real' fights. The UFC middleweight posted on Twitter:
"A lot of celebrities trying their luck in boxing. I haven’t seen a single one get into a real fight aka MMA"
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Fans replied to Brunson's question, mostly noting the obvious difference in risk-levels in both sports. Many believe that boxing offers a much more lucrative payday with little chance of fatal damage. @x3mantics wrote:
"They follow the money bro. Ain't nobody tryna get their skull cracked by a hook kick for $35."
Others believe that two partially trained celebrities struggling in an MMA bout would make for a poor showing as the sport takes longer to learn when compared to boxing.
Some fans, however, reminded Brunson of WWE stars like Brock Lesnar and CM Punk who made the transition to MMA at one point in their careers.
One fan in particular believes that Brunson's latest tweet could lead to a call out from one of the Paul brothers.
When Derek Brunson called out Jake Paul for a fight in the UFC
Derek Brunson scored a third-round submission win over Darren Till in September 2021, topping off a dominant five-fight winning streak. Brunson, who was eyeing a title shot at that point, called out Jake Paul for a tune-up fight.
Paul also showed interest in the outing, urging UFC President Dana White to allow Brunson a crossover fight. The UFC middleweight then tried to lure Paul into a MMA bout.
Derek Brunson claimed that White would "loan" him out for a boxing match if Paul fought him in the UFC first. The middleweight staple wrote:
“Blonde Brunson doesn’t lose. I adapt to any environment. I outsmart & outwit, then brutalize fighters. @jakepaul come to the @ufc for one fight, we can make whatever rules you want in a contract, then I’m sure @danawhite will loan me for a boxing match! @aliabdelaziz000”
Responding to Brunson, Paul took a dig at the UFC's treatment of its fighters. 'The Problem Child' trolled Brunson for seemingly having accepted that he is "owned" by Dana White.