David Branch, UFC and WSOF veteran, signs with ONE Championship
Veteran David Branch who has spent time with both the UFC and World Series of Fight, has found a new home to continue his fighting career. Damon Martin of MMA Fighting was the first to report that Branch has signed a deal to compete with ONE Championship in 2022.
Branch’s manager Ali Abdelaziz confirmed the news to MMA Fighting, saying that he is thankful to ONE Championship and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for the opportunity to have David Branch on the roster, and believes everyone will see a reinvented version of the fighter as well. While the news of Branch signing with the promotion came to light on Tuesday, there was no word given on when he could be making his debut for ONE Championship.
A long-time veteran most known for his time between two stints in the UFC and a two-division champion with World Series of Fighting (now Professional Fighters League), Branch, at 40-years old, will look to make another run with his new promotion.
Making his UFC debut back in 2010, David Branch would have just over a one-year stint with the promotion before moving to WSOF in 2012, where he won the inaugural middleweight WSOF title back in 2014 and then would go on to win the promotion’s light heavyweight title in 2015. He would successfully defend his title in 2016 and then in 2017 he returned to the UFC, 7 years after he last fought for them, and would compete in their middleweight division.
In his last tenure with the UFC, David Branch would go 2-3 in five fights, picking up his first win in his return against Krzysztof Jotko, and then he would add a surprising upset knockout win over former light heavyweight title challenger, Thiago Santos. Picking up two wins in his first three fights, Branch would suffer losses to Luke Rockhold, Jared Cannonier, and Jack Hermansson before parting ways with the UFC.
With a new promotional home in place and some time off to his credit, David Branch and his manager believe that there will be a new and improved version of the former champion as he prepares to compete in ONE Championship.
