Anderson Silva not looking past 'dynamic' Derek Brunson at UFC 208 in Brooklyn

The almighty Anderson Silva hasn't tasted victory inside of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Octagon since kneeing Stephan Bonnar into oblivion back in 2012. That's a very long drought and a product of Silva facing the best of the best at 185 pounds, as well as 205 pounds. Still, Silva remains relevant in 2017 as a 41-year-old veteran on the wrong side of his prime and is lined up to challenge rising middleweight contender Derek Brunson at UFC 208 on Feb. 11 from Brooklyn, New York. The Brazilian understands the dangers at hand and isn't sleeping on Brunson.

"He's very young and that helps a lot," said Silva in a recent interview with Sportv (h/t Bloody Elbow). "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.

"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."

Silva is well known for his more than confident striking approach inside of the cage. In his prime, "The Spider" would put his hands by his side, dance around the Octagon, invite opponents to unload their best shots and roll with every shot. In the case of Brunson, considering Silva has shown a depleted chin over the past few years, the Brazilian must remain focused and patient. After all, Brunson has recorded four first-round knockout finishes since the beginning of 2015. Silva better not play any games.

UFC 208 will be headlined by an inaugural women's featherweight title fight between former bantamweight queen Holly Holm and former Muay Thai champion Germaine de Randamie.