High-level middleweight contender ponders move up to light heavyweight

At one point in time, Derek Brunson was an anomaly in the UFC middleweight division. With Chris Weidman out of commission, he became the resident high-level wrestler at 185 pounds, where strikers were plentiful. While Weidman used his wrestling skills to achieve championship glory, Brunson wasn't as fortunate.

His most recent appearance inside the octagon was a brutal loss to surging South African Dricus du Plessis. Despite originally hinting at retirement after the defeat, the American seems to be pondering a comeback.

He recently took to Twitter to hint at a potential return to the octagon, but in a new environment:

"LHW"

It seems like the NCAA Division II wrestler is interested in a move to the light heavyweight division. While he'll face a size discrepancy against most 205lbers, his skillset might shock his new crop of potential opponents.

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What happened to middleweight standout, Derek Brunson?

Not long ago, however, Derek Brunson was a staple in the middleweight division. He was among the only strong wrestlers at 185 pounds. But despite his rare skillset and athletic gifts, he never quite managed to reach the heights he hoped he would.

Bouts against former champion Robert Whittaker and current two-time divisional kingpin Israel Adesanya ended in knockout losses. While the NCAA Division II standout bounced back with a five-fight win streak, things soon changed.

Brunson's commendable run came to a screeching halt after he suffered back-to-back losses against Jared Cannonier and Dricus du Plessis. The loss to the surging South African was yet another second-round knockout in which Brunson became exhausted and defenseless, forcing his corner to throw in the towel.

Prior to the post-fight interviews in the cage, Brunson seemed to hint at a potential retirement. He remained relatively quiet about whether he wants to continue fighting, until now.