David Branch’s first fight since being released by the UFC ended terribly for him.
Branch, a former World Series of Fighting champion, fought ex-Bellator champ Alexander Shlemenko on Saturday at Russian Cagefighting Championshiop 7 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
It was Branch’s first fight since a submission loss to Jack Hermansson on March 30 at UFC on ESPN 2. This fight, like that one, also ended with Branch being choked out in the first round.
You can watch the finish in the video below:
The 38-year-old Branch recently failed an out-of-competition drug test, testing positive for the banned substance ipamorelin, which stimulates HGH production. He was subsequently released from the UFC and would have only been eligible to return July 26, 2021.
Branch (22-7) went 2-4 in his UFC tenure, including a big 2018 knockout win over recent UFC light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos. Branch now has lost his last three fights and four of five dating back to September 2017.
Shlemenko (59-12) is on a three-fight winning streak since joining RCC last year.
