Looking to rebuild his octagon career, veteran UFC middleweight Derek Brunson would next like to fight ex-champ Chris Weidman or Elias Theodorou.

Brunson (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) named the opponents when asked by MMAjunkie about his next desired opponent after a pair of losses snapped a five-fight winning streak that had him on the cusp of a title shot.

First and foremost, Brunson realizes he’s lost a few steps and needs to regain momentum before making any big demands.

“I’m trying to stay active,” said Brunson, who was stopped in the first round by Israel Adesanya this past month at UFC 230. “Sometimes you get close and you get in these big fights, and you get close to ‘If I win this one and look impressive, I’ll get a title shot.’

“Now, I’m back to ‘I just need to get active, get a streak going and worry about that.’ I’m not in the title picture right now, so I’m looking for guys who are ready to get active and looking to stay active just like myself.”

Weidman (14-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) presents an attractive option for name value. He’s also in need of a career turnaround after a 1-3 run since losing the title to Luke Rockhold.

Theodorou (16-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is on the opposite spectrum as far as name recognition. He is ranked No. 13 in the UFC’s middleweight rankings (and is an honorable mention in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings). But competitively, he is on the upswing with a three-fight winning streak. Most recently, he outpointed Eryk Anders after getting rattled at UFC 231 earlier this month.

“I think a fight between me and Elias Theodorou makes perfect sense,” Brunson said. “He’s a guy who needs to fight a formidable guy to get in the top-10.

“What, is he going to keep fighting guys out of the top 10? That’s a fight I’d like to have. I’ve fought everybody, so I’m just looking to fight some guys about where I’m at.”

Brunson discounts the long-term effect of back-to-back stoppage losses, stressing that he was never fully knocked out and only got his bell rung.

“I didn’t go out cold,” he said. “It’s more about getting better and becoming a better martial artist. I’m not taking a lot of punches. This past fight, I ran in and shot in on a double and got caught with a knee. So I got dazed moreso, and then the guy came in with a couple more punches and the ref stopped it.”

The next time he gets into the octagon, he wants to make sure he’s the one delivering the fight-ending punches.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.