Derek Brunson Bio: Next Fight, Wife, Net Worth & Record

October 13, 2026

This article was last updated by Sujan on June 16, 2026

One of the top middleweight MMA fighters in the whole world and currently ranked 8th in the middleweight division of the UFC, Derek Brunson has managed to capture the MMA fans’ interest due to his all-out fighting style.

Derek Brunson

Moreover, he is a ten-year veteran of the sport who has an incredible record of 20 wins and seven losses in his professional career. Likewise, he is also one of the wealthier MMA fighters out there.

But how did Derek achieve all his success? Is there a secret shortcut, or is it through pure hard work and determination? Well, let’s find out with the help of this article.

Here, not only will you find all your answers, but you folks will also get to learn a host of exciting things about Derek. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get right to it.

Quick Facts about Derek Brunson

Full Name Derek T. Brunson Birth Date January 4, 1984 Birth Place Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S.A Nick Name The Human Blanket Religion Christian Nationality American Ethnicity African-American Education The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Horoscope Capricorn Father’s Name Not available Mother’s Name Not available Siblings Not available Age 42 Years Old Height 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) Weight 185 lb (84 kg) Shoe Size Not available Hair Color Black Eye Color Black Body Measurement Not available Build Muscular Married Yes Boyfriend No Spouse Not available Children Elijah Brunson Profession Mixed Martial Artist Division Middleweight Record 20-7-0 Fighting out of Wilmington, North Carolina Net Worth  $1 million Social Media , , Last Update May, 2026

Derek Brunson: Wiki Bio

Derek T. Brunson came into this world on January 4, 1984, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Despite scouring our sources, the information concerning Brunson’s parents is a mystery at this point.

Education

Brunson was a wrestler and a competitive cheerleader at John T. Hoggard High School. There, he excelled under the stewardship of coach Dan Willis.

Consequently, by the time Derek graduated from high school, he had scholarships for wrestling and cheerleading.

Here’s a picture of Brunson with his blonde hair:

Derek Brunson with blonde hair

Derek Brunson – College Wrestling

Derek has won regional championships multiple times in his career. In fact, he was honored as an NCAA-All-American three times from the University of North Carolina.

Moreover, he had a total of 121 victories throughout his college and school career.

Derek Brunson – Professional Career

Soon after graduating, Derek turned his focus from wrestling to Mixed Martial Arts. After a while, he made his professional debut in May 2010 against John Bryant.

He is nicknamed ‘The Human Blanket’.

Furthermore, Brunson won the bout via a rear-naked choke in the 52nd second of the first round. Thereafter, Derek went on an unbeaten streak of six wins and zero losses before getting picked up by Strikeforce.

Subsequently, the 36-year-old fought five times, winning three and losing the rest. Then, in 2012, Brunson signed with the UFC to compete in The Ultimate Fighter 17. However, Derek had to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury.

Eventually, he made his UFC debut against Chris Leben at UFC 155. Moreover, Brunson’s opportunity came in a stroke of luck as he was called in last minute to replace Karlos Vemola.

Brunson defeated Heinisch during his most recent fight at UFC 241

Despite being a heavy favorite to lose, the North Carolina native utilized his collegiate wrestling background to dominate his opponent. As a consequence, Derek won the bout via a unanimous decision.

Since then, Brunson has fought 16 times in the UFC, winning 11 and losing five in the process. Although Derek has won 11 fights, he has lost all of his match-ups against top middleweight contenders or former champions.

As a result, the 36-year-old has not fought for the UFC Middleweight Championship yet. Having said that, Brunson is on a high after defeating and Ian Heinrich in his last two fights.

Derek Brunson: UFC 248

After his impressive victory at UFC 241, Brunson was booked to face Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC 248. But, the fight got canceled due to unspecified reasons.

Consequently, the bout had been rescheduled to take place at UFC Fight Night 172. Moreover, it was supposed to happen on April 11, 2026.

But, because of the world pandemic of Corona Virus (COVID-19), the event got canceled.

Derek Brunson: Last Fight

Brunson fought against Kevin Holland on March 21, 2026. In fact, he won the fight. Here’s a clip from the bout:

Derek Brunson – MMA Records

As of now, Derek has fought in 27 fights as a professional. Among them, Brunson has won 20 times while losing six. Of those 20 victories, he won 11 via knockout, three due to submission, and six via decision.

RESULT Against METHOD R TIME WIN Kevin Holland Decision (Unanimous) 5 5:00 WIN Edmen Shahbazyan TKO (Punches) 3 0:26 WIN Ian Heinisch Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00 WIN Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00 LOSS TKO (Knees and Punches) 1 4:51 LOSS Ronaldo Souza KO (Head Kick and Punches) 1 3:50 WIN Lyoto Machida KO (Punches) 1 2:30 WIN Daniel Kelly KO (Punch) 1 1:16 LOSS Anderson Silva Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00 LOSS Robert Whittaker TKO (Head Kick and Punches) 1 4:07 WIN Uriah Hall TKO (Punch) 1 1:41 WIN Roan Carneiro KO (Punches) 1 2:38 WIN Sam Alvey TKO (Punches) 1 2:19 WIN Ed Herman TKO (Punches) 1 0:36 WIN Lorenz Larkin Decision (Unanimous)
Herb Dean 3 5:00 LOSS Yoel Romero TKO (Punches and Elbows) 3 3:23 WIN Brian Houston Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 1 0:48 WIN Chris Leben Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00 LOSS Ronaldo Souza KO (Punches) 1 0:41 LOSS Kendall Grove Decision (Split) 3 5:00 WIN Nate James Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00 WIN Lumumba Sayers Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 1 4:33 WIN Jeremy Hamilton Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00 WIN Danny Babcock KO (Punch) 1 1:07 WIN Rhomez Brower TKO (Submission to Punches) 1 2:27 WIN Todd Chattelle TKO (Punches) 1 0:14 WIN Edward Jackson KO (Punches) 1 0:41 WIN Chris McNally KO (Punches) 1 1:42 WIN John Bryant Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)    

Here’s a video of a fight between Derek Brunson and Israel Adesanya:

Derek Brunson – Age, Weight & Nationality

Derek was born in the year 1984. As a result, he is 36 years old currently. Furthermore, Brunson is a Capricorn when it comes to horoscope. Likewise, Capricorns are known to be sensitive, practical, and disciplined, to name a few.

Moving on, Derek stands at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and weighs 185 lb (84 kg). As a result, he is one of the bigger fighters in the middleweight division.

About his nationality, Brunson was born in Wilmington, which is a port city in the coastal southeastern part of North Carolina. Consequently, he holds American citizenship.

Where does Derek Brunson train?

At the time of writing, Derek is training at Stanford MMA. Moreover, he started practicing at the gym in 2019. Before that, Brunson was a student of the Renzo Gracie Academy and Jackson’s MMA.

Here’s a video showing the highlights of fights between Derek Johnson and Anderson Silva:

Derek Brunson – Net Worth & Fight Purse

As of 2026, Derek has an estimated net worth of $1 million. Moreover, he has been a professional since 2010 and has fought in 27 bouts till now. Hence, his net worth should come as no surprise.

Talking about his fight purse, for his most recent match-up against Ian Heinisch at UFC 241, Derek earned a whopping $190,000. Likewise, it included $95,000 to show and another $95,000 as a win bonus.

However, it is in stark contrast to his rookie days as a professional fighter. Back then, Brunson was earning $7,000 per fight, which is mind-boggling.

As of now, Derek has received more than $1.2 million during his decade-long career.

Is Derek Brunson married? – Wife & Kids

When it comes to Derek Brunson’s love affair, it is completely shrouded in mystery. Moreover, there is no intel on his wife’s name, marriage date, or relationship history.

Brunson and his two daughters

The only detail that we know is that Brunson is a married man. Likewise, he is the father of three kids, two daughters, and one son, Elijah Brunson. But, sadly, the details concerning his daughters also remain under wraps.

Social Media Presence

: 141k followers

: 58.2k followers

: 56k followers

Common Queries about Derek Brunson

What did Joe Rogan say about Derek Brunson?

Joe Rogan praised Derek Brunson and called him a real veteran. He talked about Brunson’s growth and MMA and also applauded his ability to shut down.

Who called Derek Brunson a ‘gatekeeper’?

Kevin Holland called Derek Brunson a ‘gatekeeper’. He further added that Johnson is somebody who sits in the middle and holds the fort.

When will Derek Brunson and Darren Till face each other next?

Derek Brunson and Dareen Till will be facing each other on September 4, 2026.

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Aaditya Bhatta

Aaditya Bhatta is a dynamic writer and sports enthusiast, whose passion for both realms is reflected in his work. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Aaditya brings a unique perspective to his writing, captivating readers with his engaging content.

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