Derek Brunson will be stepping into the octagon this weekend as he faces former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at UFC 208.
Brunson doesn’t just expect to defeat Silva on Saturday Night, but he also expects to achieve some big goals in 2017.
“I want to have a big year,” he said to MMA Fighting. “A big year, big fights, big contract, big money, big everything. 2017 is definitely my year.”
Brunson is coming off of a loss as he enters UFC 208, as he suffered a first round knockout loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night 101.
Also, Brunson isn’t overlooking an aging Silva, whom Brunson thinks is still one of the more dangerous fighters in the UFC.
“That guy is still Anderson to me,” he said. “No matter what people say, he might lose a little bit of speed but I still think he’s faster than 90 percent of the division. His technique doesn’t diminish, he’s a little older maybe but, like I said, he lost a little speed, yet he’s still the same guy. I think he’s capable of still the same output, and he still has all the technique in the world. So yeah, I’m definitely looking to go out there and make a statement.”
UFC 208 takes place on Saturday, February 11 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with Holly Holm and Germaine De Randamie headlining.
