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Derek Brunson Weighs In On The U.S. vs. Dagestan Wrestling Debate (Exclusive)

Originally posted on MMA News | By Curtis Calhoun | Last updated 10/25/23

Former NCAA Division II wrestler Derek Brunson has given his take on the debate surrounding Dagestan and American wrestling.

Brunson signed with the PFL and will make his league debut at the upcoming 2023 PFL Championship on November 24th. He'll face Ray Cooper III in a middleweight bout after parting ways with the UFC earlier this year.

Before Brunson made his professional MMA debut in May 2010, he made a name for himself as an NCAA Division II wrestling standout at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. He finished his collegiate career as an All-American in 2003 and 2005.

As Brunson has risen through the MMA ranks, elite wrestlers have arrived from places outside of the U.S., including Dagestan in Russia. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are two of the top Dagestani athletes who have earned titles in the UFC.

Amidst this rise, the debate has sizzled regarding the U.S.'s place in wrestling, but Brunson feels it comes down to individuals.

Derek Brunson Is A NCAA Division II Wrestling Vet

In an exclusive interview with MMANews, Brunson said the debate all depends on the individual talents that come out of both nations.

"Wrestling is wrestling," Brunson said. "Russia has a strong wrestling program and everybody wrestles at a high level over there. But, I've trained with a lot of Dagestan guys in my prime, used to come down to Jackson-Wink in New Mexico, and I had fun with those guys. They were Olympic-level wrestlers, and I just took it to them...

"It's all individually based. But, Russian dudes do have good wrestling...if we're talking Jordan Burroughs in his prime, we're going to see Jordan Burroughs [win]. He proved that."

Colby Covington has dismissed Dagestani wrestlers like Makhachev in a slew of recent remarks. He faces Leon Edwards at UFC 296; and could potentially face Makhachev afterwards if he wins the UFC welterweight title.

The recent successes of Makhachev and Nurmagomedov have put Dagestan on the wrestling map, although American wrestlers like Daniel Cormier and Mark Coleman have also etched their places in UFC lore.

The 39-year-old Brunson began his combat sports career in wrestling and is familiar with how the sport has grown globally in recent years. While he acknowledges Dagestan's prowess, he feels it's time to pump the brakes on making the argument that they've surpassed the U.S.

Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.

This article first appeared on MMA News and was syndicated with permission.

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