Derek Brunson competed in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Ottawa, defeating Elias Theodorou by unanimous decision.
A victorious Brunson scored several takedowns during the bout, but Brunson almost knocked himself out during one completed attempt.
“That was my exact thought,” Brunson said after the event (via Alexander K. Lee of MMA Fighting). “I picked him up, I locked my hands, I was like, oh, that kid—I think it was Jarred Brooks or something like that—he went, he swung, he dunked him and knocked himself out. I was like, if I knock myself out, it’s gonna be real bad. So I swung his legs and I swam back over and I got north-south position. But yeah, I wanted to make sure I didn’t knock myself out. That wouldn’t look good. I would have made ‘Sportscenter Not Top 10’ or whatever. That would have been bad.”
The UFC would post the near fatal takedown highlight on Twitter:
Going --
— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2019
Coming #UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/xyqz59s9ZM
Brunson was happy to not knock himself out at the event, while also showing a new fighting style inside of the Octagon.
“It’s funny, I’m a knockout guy. In my previous wins, I think all of my last seven wins I got were knockouts in the first round,” Brunson said. “To come out here and get a decision after a rough year, it feels good. Now I’ve got that built in my mind. I can go the distance with a guy who’s known for cardio, who moves around a lot, pretty much had to chase a little bit. So I can take my time and be patient, I know I can knock guys out still.”
It was a big win for Brunson at UFC Fight Night Ottawa, as he ended a two bout losing streak at the event.
