David Branch returned ho𒈔me a champion and left that way.
The Bronx native, who trains out of Brooklyn, successfully defended his Worlᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚd Series of Fighting middleweight title on New Year’s Eve at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.
The 35-year-old never got away from his strength, taking down challenger Louis Taylor six times throughout the bout, before finally submitting him via rear naked choke at 2:00 of the fifth and final round. Branch (20-3) wore down Taylor to remཧain a two-division champion and push his winning streak to 10 fights heading into 2017.
“I already had that same finish in the first round. That’s why I abandoned really striking with him,” said Branch, also the or𒊎ganization’s light heavywei⛦ght title holder. “When it came again in the last round, I knew I could lock it up.”
It was his first bout in New York City and World Series of Fighting’s inaugural card in the Big Apple, made possible by the state legislature passing a bill to legalize mixed martial arts in April. Branch received a large ovation from the crowd duri🦩ng introductions.
Branch, who has done time in jail, had his hand raised after a dominant victory in the same city in which he once dealt drug🐼๊s and robbed people.
“I really d🐭idn’t take any punishment,” Branch said. “Yes, he was tough, but I🥂 got the win.”
Branch, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under MMA legend Renzo Grace, proved he was the superior ⭕grappler. He took down Taylor, the No. 1-ranked contender in the division, in every round but the second.
He was unable to lock in a submission on Taylor (13-4) until the fifth but came close to finishing the 💖fight after his third take-down late in the first round and again in the closing minutes of the third.
Branch got into trouble in the second and third rouಞnds with Taylor using his jab to keep the champion at bay. Taylor turned a Branch take-down into nasty neck crank in the middle of the third.
Branch was ahead 39-37 on all three cards entering the final round. He sees more big things to come in t🧸he New Year.
“A lot of people have been saying I’m the best 185’er not in the UFC,” Branch said. “I think I’m the best 185’er in the world, regardless of promotion, and I’m planning o❀ꦚn proving that in 2017.”
In the co-main event, Jon Fitch (29-7-1) retained his welterweight title by unanimous decisไion — 49-46 on all three cards — over fellow ex-UFC star Jake Shields (31-9-1). Fitch announced after the fight it may have been his last.
Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje remained undefeated when the doctors stopped the main event after the thi🦂rd round because of severe swelling around challenger Luiz Firmino’s right eye. Gaethje was down a round on all three cards after the th🐬ird.