UFC 208: Derek Brunson will ‘crack’ Anderson Silva if he tries to toy with him in Brooklyn

Despite having his five-fight win streak snapped by Robert Whittaker last November via first round technical knockout (see it), Derek Brunson came out a winner, as he has been booked to face perhaps the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter of all time, Anderson Silva, at the upcoming UFC 208 event on Feb. 11, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York (details).

Not a bad consolation prize, since everyone on the UFC roster would still love the opportunity to test their skills against the best to ever do it. That said, "The Spider" has experienced a rough go as of late, losing four in a row dating back to 2013 and having his lone win over Nick Diaz during that span overturned due to a failed drug test.

What version of Silva shows up on fight night remains to be seen, though Derek is confident he will be facing the best form of the ex-UFC middleweight champion possible.

"He’s not going to be doing what he did against Weidman. And he won’t be doing what he look like he did against Cormier. He had nothing to lose against Cormier, so he went into that fight completely out of shape," said Brunson on a recent appearance on The MMA Hour.

With a history of showboating inside the cage, dropping his hands and mocking his foes mid-fight — which proved disastrous against the aforementioned Weidman -- Silva is unlikely to play that game with Derek. That’s because the Jackson-Wink MMA-trained fighter says the Brazilian bomber knows all-too well that one clean hit and it will be lights out all over again.

"I don’t expect him out there dropping his hands, pulling his head back because if one of these punches catches you on the chin, it’s lights out," proclaimed Derek. "I expect the best Anderson Silva and I don’t think he will play with me, I don’t think he will toy with me like he does other guys because I can explode in and touch his chin. All it takes is one shot and I am sure his camp is like, ‘This guy can crack you."

Fair enough.

Brunson has proven he has shown he has the abilities to finish fights, winning four straight bouts via strikes prior to his loss to Whittaker.

Anderson, though, has proven to be a tough nut to crack, only losing one fight via strikes in his 20-year combat sports career. Can Brunson be the second to put "The Spider" to sleep? Or will Derek be the one who is seeing stars?

For more on the upcoming UFC 208 pay-per-view (PPV) event click here.