David Branch is finding his stride in the UFC. Photo: Ed Mulholland/Getty
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As Branch approaches his latest obstacle, here are some of the numbers that have helped define his career:
81: Inches of arm reach. Branch stands 6-foot-1 but has owns of the longest reaches in the middleweight roster. It serves him well in the striking and grappling departments.
3: Years spent of training jiu-jitsu under Relson Gracie black belt Michael Casey, after which he trained under Renzo Gracie. After about 10 years, Branch was awarded his black belt.
11: Years as a professional mixed martial artist. Branch’s debut did not last long, as he put away Craig Simone with punches in less than two minutes at Cage Fights 6 on Sept. 29, 2007.
3: Fights on the regional circuit before Bellator MMA took notice. Branch went 3-0 before signing with the California-based organization and competing at Bellator 11.
1: Round needed to impress fans in his first Bellator appearance. Branch submitted Dennis Olson via rear-naked choke at 2:27 of Round 1.
1: Slam absorbed from Gerald Harris, the impact bringing an unceremonious end to Branch’s Octagon debut at UFC 116. The knockout came at 2:35 of the third round.
4: Fights with the UFC in his first stay with the promotion. Branch went 2-2 between July 2010 and March 2011. After his knockout loss to Harris, he posted back-to-back victories over Tomasz Drwal and Rich Attonito before a Rousimar Palhares heel hook sent him back to the drawing board.
3: Fights taken in between his UFC and World Series of Fighting stints. Branch went 2-1 after leaving the Ultimate Fighting Championship, defeating Jeremy May and Dominique Steele before losing to Anthony Johnson.
10: Appearances under the WSOF banner. Branch won all 10 of his fights with the organization and made a name for himself with a wider audience, earning high-profile victories over Paulo Filho, Jesse Taylor, Yushin Okami and Vinny Magalhaes.
2: WSOF championships held. Branch captured the promotion’s middleweight crown with a brabo choke submission of Taylor and later moved to 205 pounds, laying claim to the light heavyweight title with a rear-naked choke submission of Teddy Holder.
3: Successful defenses of the WSOF middleweight title. Branch stopped Okami with fourth-round punches, decisioned Clifford Starks and submitted Louis Taylor with a rear-naked choke in the fifth round during his reign.
1: “Performance of the Night” bonus banked in the UFC. Branch was awarded $50,000 after his first-round knockout of Santos.
1: Main event assignment in the UFC. Branch was paired with Rockhold in the UFC Fight Night 116 headliner, where he was struck into submission in the second round.
37: Years of age. Branch was born on Sept. 26, 1981.
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