WILMINGTON, Del. – David Branch says a feeling of “emptiness” contributed to his loss against Jared Cannonier at UFC 230 in November. However, he’s hoping to right the ship on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 2.
After a build to his previous fight that included some difficult moments and an opponent change, Branch (22-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) said he simply was not in the right mental space when he stepped in the octagon with Cannonier. The result was a second-round TKO loss.
“Not to take anything away from my opponent, he beat me – it was a beautiful right hand he landed on the inside and found the opening,” Branch said today at a media day for UFC on ESPN 2. “But to my credit, I think emotionally I was just not there. I felt it during the walkout – I was trying to get that fire. It’s not that I lost that fire, but it’s just with so much happening in the lead-up, there’s a lot of things I was going through personally, there was a lot of things I was going through with family and then the opponent switch was just the cherry on top.”
UFC on ESPN 2 takes place at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The card airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.
Branch will attempt to rebound when he meets Jack Hermansson (18-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the middleweight co-headliner of UFC on ESPN 2. He said he’s feeling much more prepared for this fight.
“It’s a learning process and you have to remain focused no matter what is happening,” Branch said. “Life can come at you at any time. … I feel like when I’m focused I can beat anyone in the division.”
While Branch is out to bounce back, Hermansson comes into the fight on a roll and eager to beat the former two-division WSOF champion. Branch doesn’t want that to happen, obviously, and said he’s scouted his opponent properly.
“He’s a good fighter,” Branch said. “He wouldn’t be in the UFC if he wasn’t. I’m taking him very seriously and I haven’t overlooked any of his abilities. I’ve done everything possible to prepare for anything he can do that I think is going to be a threat so I can neutralize those things and cause massive damage.”
For more from Branch, watch his complete UFC on ESPN 2 media day scrum above.
For more on UFC on ESPN 2, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
