Derek Brunson offers to fight at PFL 8 on short notice

After 21 fights in the UFC, Derek Brunson left the world's premier MMA organization to sign with the PFL in 2023 but has fought for the promotion just once. After nine months on the shelf, Brunson is looking to make his second walk to the smart cage on just three days' notice.

With PFL 8 just days away, the promotion announced on social media that an expected playoff fight between Antonio Carlos Junior and Karl Albrektsson had been canceled due to the latter withdrawing from the matchup.

The PFL confirmed that Carlos Junior would remain the light heavyweight alternate for the remainder of the playoffs, but Brunson proposed a different idea, offering to step in for Albrektsson with minimal prep time.

PFL 8 is the second scheduled playoff event of the 2024 season with the winners of the main card matchups set to compete for the $1,000,000 championship in November. The fight card features the four semifinal fights for the lightweight and light heavyweight division.

The original matchup between Carlos Junior and Albrektsson was not a part of the official playoff bracket, with the Brazilian instead being placed on the fight card as the backup fighter should anything happen to either of the eligible fighters in his division. Carlos Junior ended the 2024 season with a 1-1 record and six points in the PFL point system but lost the tiebreaker to Josh Silveira, who also ended with six points and earned the final spot in the playoffs.

As the bracket currently stands, PFL's 2023 light heavyweight winner Impa Kasanganay is the favorite to return as champion as the No. 1 seed. He faces Silveira, the No. 4 seed, in the opening round. The matchup is a rematch of the 2023 finals in which Kasanganay won the title by unanimous decision.

Rob Wilkinson, the 2022 PFL 205-pound champion, faces Dovlet Yagshimuradov in the other light heavyweight semifinal matchup.

Bellator veteran Brent Primus serves as the No. 1 seed of the lightweight division and will face No. 4 seed Clay Collard in the opening round. Gadzhi Rabadanov and Michael Dufort — the No. 2 and No. 3 seed, respectively — face off in the other 155-pound semifinal bout.

The PFL 8 prelims are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ with the main card playoff bouts to follow at 9 p.m. ET.