CHARLOTTE — Derek Brunson took the stage for a short workout inside the Spectrum Center to the cheers of fans and the music of Petey Pablo.

“This one’s for North Carolina! Come on and raise up/Take your shirt off, twist it ‘round your hand/ Spin it like a helicopter.”

The 34-year-old Wilmington native didn’t take his shirt off or spin it around his hand like a helicopter.

But he was comfortable. Finally, he was home.

“Definitely have to highlight Petey Pablo when you’re in North Carolina,” Brunson said with a smile.

Brunson, who continues his rise up the Ultimate Fighting Championship ladder, aims to avenge his 2012 knockout loss to Jacare Souza in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 27 in Charlotte.

Roughly 3 1/2 hours from his hometown of Wilmington, Brunson will fight in the Tar Heel State for the first time since 2010.

“I’m definitely focused on the fight, but come fight time later in the week — when everyone is off work — there are going to be a lot of people here in support of me,” he said.

“I’m really excited. This arena is going to be pretty crazy.”

A redemptive win over Souza, the third-ranked fighter in the middleweight division, would mark Brunson’s 10th UFC win.

He’s optimistic that a victory would be enough for a title shot.

“It’s a big fight — big for my career,” said Brunson, who sits at No. 8 in the rankings.

“I’m always in the big fights as of late. Everything’s big and everything’s amplified. It would mean a great deal (to win).”

Souza (24-5) defeated Brunson (18-5) when they met for the first time inside the Strikeforce cage in 2012, scoring a 41-second knockout in San Diego.

Pointing to his growth as a fighter, Brunson vows that the second meeting will be far different.

“The first time I fought him I was very young in the sport,” he said. “I came straight out of college from wrestling and I didn’t have a lot of skills. I wasn’t ready for the big fights. But now I’m ready.”

Souza hasn’t competed since a second-round knockout defeat to future UFC interim champion Robert Whittaker in April 2017.

Since that time, Brunson has added two more victims to his highlight reel of first-round finishes.

Known for his powerful southpaw strikes and aggressive style, Brunson made quick work of Dan Kelly in June with a 76-second knockout. He then blitzed former UFC champion Lyoto Machida in October to earn his seventh first-round knockout in the middleweight division.

Brunson hopes to make Saturday’s fight against Souza another quick appointment on his climb toward donning a championship belt around his waist.

“I’m fighting the No. 3 guy in the world,” Brunson said. “You want to go out here and look impressive against him. Big things are coming in the future. I could be one fight away (from a title shot).”

Brunson, a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, won three NCAA region titles and made four trips to the NCAA Division II National Championships en route to becoming a three-time all-American with the Braves.

A solid contingent of black and gold will be invading Charlotte this weekend to show their support as part of an alumni event at Blackfinn Ameripub.

“It’s great. The only thing I can do is go out there and do my job,” Brunson said of the support from his alma mater.

“I know I have a lot of people here supporting me — former college teammates, a lot of people from the area.”

When asked to make a case to those who are on the fence about making the trip to Charlotte or tuning in on FOX, Brunson smiled.

“It’s a Brunson fight. That’s all you need to know,” he said.

“Anybody who knows me, anybody who looks me up, knows the knockouts are there. That’s why the UFC has put me in this great position.”

Rodd Baxley | The Robesonian Derek Brunson, who continues his rise up the Ultimate Fighting Championship ladder, aims to avenge his 2012 knockout loss to Jacare Souza in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 27 in Charlotte. The UNCP graduate will be fighting in his home state for the first time since 2010.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_rsz_dsc_0934201812514259179-2.jpgRodd Baxley | The Robesonian Derek Brunson, who continues his rise up the Ultimate Fighting Championship ladder, aims to avenge his 2012 knockout loss to Jacare Souza in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 27 in Charlotte. The UNCP graduate will be fighting in his home state for the first time since 2010.
UNCP alum ‘really excited’ to be fighting in Charlotte

By Rodd Baxley

Sports editor

Rodd Baxley can be reached at 910-416-5182 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RoddBaxley.

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