Former UFC middleweight athlete Derek Brunson will soon be making his debut in the PFL. Brunson has been booked to meet former two-time PFL World Champion Ray Cooper III
Ray Cooper III vs. Derek Brunson
“Bradda Boy” Ray Cooper III (25-8-1) has captured PFL welterweight gold two times in his impressive career. The Hawaian-born athlete is well-known for his dangerous knockout power. He has won an outstanding 65% of his matches way of KO/TKO. Along the way, he has defeated notable athletes such as Rory MacDonald, Chris Curtis, and Jake Shields, among many others.
The 39-year-old Derek Brunson (23-9-0) has been a staple of the UFC middleweight division since making his promotional debut in 2012 against Chris Leben. Throughout his time in the UFC, “The One” Brunson has defeated notable fighters such as Darren Till, Kevin Holland, Lyoto Machida, and many more.
Brunson parted ways with the UFC and it recently announced that he will be working with the Professional Fighters League. He will be participating in the 2024 season, a tournament format, in the light heavyweight division.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Brunson will make his promotional debut against Ray Cooper III on Nov. 24 from The Anthem in Washington D.C. THis matchup will be the main event of the prelim portion. The entire fight card can be found below.
2023 PFL World Championship Card
PFL PPV ESPN+
PFL Lightweight Championship
- #2 Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. #1 Clay Collard
PFL Heavyweight Championship
- #1 Denis Goltsov vs. #2 Renan Ferreira
PFL Women’s Featherweight Championship
- #1 Larissa Pacheco vs. # Marina Mokhnatkina
Showcase – Women’s Featherweight
- Kayla Harrison vs. Julia Budd
PFL Welterweight Championship
- #3 Sadibou Sy vs. #1 Magomed Magomedkerimov
PFL Featherweight Championship
- #2 Gabriel Braga vs. #4 Jesus Pinedo
PFL Light Heavyweight Championship
- #1 Joshua Silveira vs. #3 Impa Kasanganay
ESPN+ Prelims
Showcase – Middleweight
- Ray Cooper III vs. Derek Brunson
Lightweight Amateur
- Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Joel Lopez
Showcase – Featherweight
- Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade
Showcase – Bantamweight
- Khai Wu vs. Phil Caracappa
Showcase – Featherweight
- Jesse Stirn vs. Josh Blyden
