Anderson Silva Being Careful Around ‘Dynamic’ Derek Brunson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91o5BEur8qc

It looks like Derek Brunson may be right.

Anderson Silva will step inside the Octagon for the first time since UFC 200. The future Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer will meet Brunson at UFC 208 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The man who once ruled the roost in the middleweight division is searching for his first win since Oct. 2012.

While “The Spider” is used to leaving his hands low and using his movement to evade strikes, many would advise against the strategy against the wild and heavy handed Brunson. Silva told Sportv (via Bloody Elbow) that he is cautious of his opponent’s power:

“He’s very young and that helps a lot. But we don’t usually focus on an opponent’s strong suits, we look for their weak spots. We need to be very careful around him, because he’s so dynamic. He has very good wrestling, so we are training a lot of ground techniques and we are working on what I do best. Footwork, movement and using my experience.”

For Silva, the key is to avoid being hasty. While Brunson may not be a technically sound striker, he does have the ability to knock his opponents out. “The Spider” said he is ready for the challenge.

“My patience and timing will help me focus on my specialty, which is my striking. It’ll be a very interesting fight to test everything we have been drilling and training over the years. He’s so dynamic and never stands still.”

The main event of UFC 208 will feature the inaugural women’s featherweight title bout between Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. Holm is a former women’s bantamweight champion, while “The Iron Lady” earned her shot at gold by finishing Larissa Pacheco and Anna Elmose.

UFC 208 will take place on Feb. 11 and will be the second UFC event held in New York City.

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