Derek Brunson isn't slowing his pursuit of the UFC middleweight title.

The Jackson/Winkeljohn fighter has notched five straight victories inside the Octagon, doing so with one impressive performance after the next. Brunson's most recent win came against Uriah Hall at UFC Fight NIght 94, a bout where he leveled one of the division's most dangerous strikers with some high-powered offense of his own.

Where many figured Brunson's wrestling would be needed to find success against Hall, the North Carolina native flipped the script and put his hands on display instead. And while the end result was reached in a manner that may have surprised some, Brunson sees the TKO finish as just another example of his overall evolution as a fighter.

"I live martial arts. It feels good to put in all that work and then go out there and perform," Brunson said. "I thought I would have to use my wrestling more, but this is MMA. I can stand with anyone in this division, but it all comes down to how you play it. I mean, do I want to stand all night with a guy like Hall and just be exchanging punches? No, that wasn't part of the plan. But I knew I could pick my shots and as a martial artist find my way in that fight.

"It felt good to get the win the way I did because that guy is a polished striker and has been striking for a long time. He's been in Chuck Norris Fight League and striking is his forte. To put him away where he's the strongest definitely felt great."



Sep 17, 2016; Hidalgo, TX, USA; Uriah Hall (red gloves) is knocked down by Derek Brunson (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sean Porkorny-USA TODAY Sports

Immediately following the stoppage, Brunson broke into a vocal celebration where he demanded a shot at the middleweight title. Brunson paced back and forth across the Octagon, ensuring everyone in attendance and the people watching at home knew his intention to fight for the gold.

Brunson's show of emotion seemed a bit out of character for a fighter who is typically laid-back and reserved, but he made a clear statement in Hidalgo, Texas.

"I've never been that guy who cares who is paying attention, because I know where I'm at. I know good enough. I know I'm one of the top guys in the world," Brunson said. "I remember one of the first articles ever written about me was on Bloody Elbow talking about my potential as a prospect. The article said I would be a top-five middleweight in a couple of years.

"I'm just trying to be consistent and work toward that title shot. I know I'm really close, probably one or two wins away, and I'm looking forward to holding that strap up."

With a victory over Hall in the books to continue his red-hot winning streak, Brunson can now sit back and watch pivotal matchups in the middleweight upper tier play out.

Michael Bisping is set to defend his 185-pound title against Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in Manchester, England on October 8, just as former champions Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold will return to action in respective matchups against Yoel Romero and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in the upcoming months. 

"I'm confident I can defeat all the guys in the top five right now," Brunson said. "I know I can knock each one of those guys off. I just have to keep getting better and be smart in fights. I have to find my openings and keep pushing to improve. There isn't a guy on that list I'm not confident about stepping in there with.

"Bisping, Rockhold, Weidman, 'Jacare' and Romero. There isn't one of them I feel I can't beat. My time will come."



Feb 21, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Derek Brunson (red gloves) reacts after defeating Roan Carneiro (left) during UFC Fight Night at the Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports

The return of the UFC's middleweight elite creates interesting scenarios for Brunson, but no fighter has his attention more than Romero.

Brunson's last loss came at the hands of the Cuban Olympic silver medal-winning wrestler at UFC Fight Night 35 back in 2014 in a bout where he was by and large dominating. Nevertheless, a big shot from Romero brought things to an end, and Brunson has used their tilt as a measure to gauge himself against the best his division has to offer.

"Let's be honest," Brunson said. "If we look at things how they really are, it's a much different picture. Let's take away Romero getting popped for PEDs [performance-enhancing drugs] because there are a lot of guys who take them who just haven't been caught. If Romero stays in, he gets the title shot against Rockhold, and I would pick him to win that fight.

"So there was potential there for Romero to be the champion, and I was beating him soundly for two rounds and deep into the third." 

Then, Brunson said, lady luck struck him down. 

"I was beating him good until he caught me with a lucky punch," Brunson said. "I'm not taking anything away from him, but that's just not how things go. That fight is on me. If you are winning the entire fight and heading deep into the final round, you should be able to finish that fight. That's more my fault than giving it to him.

"He found my jaw and put me away, but that's more on me. I could have just danced around and won that fight on the cards, if not 30-27, then easily 29-28. There's no question about that."

Two years have come and gone since Brunson and Romero traded leather inside the Octagon, and Brunson sees many improvements in his game since that night in Georgia. Yet, while he's watched his hard work pay off, Brunson doesn't believe his peers in the divisional elite can say the same.



Jan 15, 2014; Duluth, GA, USA; Yoel Romero ( red gloves) fights Derek Brunson during UFC Fight Night at Gwinnett Center. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

"That fight was a while ago, and I've gotten better since," Brunson said. "These other guys at the top I don't feel can say the same. I'm not going to say they don't work hard, because I know they are dedicated and trying to master their craft as well, but I don't see many improvements.

"Rockhold relies a lot on his confidence, and his confidence is less right now than it was before because he got knocked out by Bisping. When Rockhold is confident and rolling, he's a dangerous man, but that loss to Bisping rattled that confidence."

He then turned his sights to the other key players.  

"Jacare looks a little different these days," Brunson said. "Romero is going to be different from his little deal with PEDs, and Chris Weidman has battled through injury. I look at all of that and I see myself as that guy who has only gotten better, and I'm coming for that belt. I'm coming for that strap, and I'm on a roll right now."

With a five-fight winning streak and a rising profile, Brunson truly believes the time for him to shine has arrived. The 32-year-old former wrestling standout turned mixed martial artist has never been one to shy away from setting big goals, and there isn't anything he does with half commitment.

Brunson believes he's never been better than he is right now, and his performances validate that claim in full. Now the only thing to do is to keep his momentum rolling, and Brunson would love to close out his 2016 campaign with one more go inside the Octagon.



Feb 21, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Derek Brunson (red gloves) reacts after defeating Roan Carneiro (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at the Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports

"I'm looking forward to getting back in there before the end of the year," Brunson said. "It's kind of crazy, because this run that I'm on is pretty nasty. I don't even know if I've been hit in the past two and a half years. I've maybe been slapped by a jab or something, but I've been rolling guys. I get my hands on them first and finish them.

"I have four first-round finishes in a row. The win before that was against Lorenz Larkin in a three-round fight where I had him in some spots, but that guy is tough and a great striker. I've been lucky, blessed and fortunate I haven't been touched in my last four fights. That just doesn't happen, man." 

For Brunson, that's just how he prefers it. While a first-round stoppage may not net Fight of the Night honors like a hard-fought war ending on the judges' scorecards, the Jackson-Wink fighter much prefers a clean, concise job well done.

"I've seen guys get in wars over and over again, face all banged up and taking damage, where I'm going out there and not getting touched," he added. "I don't know if it's ever really been done the way I'm doing it."

With the topic of appearance on the table, Brunson flexed the personality fans on social media have come to love from him. Although it's in his nature to be humble, Brunson believes he's the king of the selfie game, and he plans to keep that title while pursuing UFC gold as well.

"Gotta keep this selfie game strong," Brunson laughed. "I can't be having lumps on my face and messing up my selfies. There isn't a fighter filter on Instagram. I may have to go to SnapChat and start using some of those filters if I ever get the puffy face. I have to bring it back a little bit to make sure it's all good."