Former UFC contender David Branch announces retirement from MMA
Former UFC middleweight contender David Branch has retired from MMA.
The 41-year-old had two stints in the Dana White-led promotion. He first fought in the UFC from 2010 to 2011, going 2-2 in that stretch. While he did score two unanimous decision wins in the promotion, it was bookended by stoppage defeats to Rousimar Palhares and Gerald Harris.
Two years after being cut from the UFC, he headed to World Series of Fighting. There, in the company that would later be rebranded to the PFL, Branch dominated. He went 10-0 inside the promotion, becoming a champion at both middleweight, and light-heavyweight. Along the way, he scored wins over names such as Yushin Okami, Dustin Jacoby, and Jesse Taylor.
In 2017, David Branch headed back to the UFC. Much like his first tenure, he didn’t have as much success as he had hoped. Branch went 2-3 inside the octagon, being cut following a submission loss to Jack Hermansson in March 2019. He later had a one-off fight in Russia the same year, losing by knockout to Alexander Shlemenko.
Nearly four years after his last defeat, the UFC middleweight has announced his retirement. In a lengthy Instagram post, Branch thanked his family and friends for supporting him in the journey. He also added that he no longer has a manager, and is completely free from the sport.
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“Today it is with great pleasure to announce my official retirement from professional MMA competition,” David Branch wrote on Instagram. “I always loved fighting and when I was a kid would always imagine fighting in big arenas. I have done a lot in this sport. Like many fighters in history I don’t think I get the credit I deserve but my peers/ fighters who do and have done what did in the cage all respect me. My family is beyond proud of me as well as true friends. I wanted to continue to keep fighting because I love it I just enjoy it.”
He continued, “But under no circumstances do I need to fight it’s just for the love of the sport and I’m good at what I do. Since 2019 my last defeat I have worked diligently in adding all new things in my game a new mind set transforming myself to a true high level athlete. Unfortunately I never got a chance to showcase my goodies for that I apologize to my true fans and supporters. One thing in this game that is undefeated is politics/ “politricks”. I have been through everything a fighter can imagine going through in MMA I have had the whole experience ups and downs. I do not have anything more to prove anymore.”
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