UFC Fight Night 116
Vegasinsider.com
Does Luke Rockhold Even Care About MMA Anymore?
The main card for UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch is loaded with matches, but almost all of them are lopsided. The main event is between former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and David Branch. Like many of you, I saw this fight and thought to myself, “Who in the hell is David Branch?”
The 35-year-old Branch is a World Series of Fighting veteran who signed to the UFC and made his debut at UFC 211 back in May 2017 winning a split decision over Krysztof Jotko. Branch is not only a massive +410 underdog in his bout with Rockhold, he’s also the ranked ninth in the middleweight rankings.
UFC Fight Night 116 Odds
Rockhold -525 vs. David Brancd +410
Anthony Smith -110 vs. Hector Lombard -110
Mike Perry -460 vs. Alex Reyes +360
Gregor Gillespie -425 vs. Jason Gonzalez +355
Kamaru Usman -675 vs. Sergio Moraes +500
Justin Ledet -390 vs. Zu Anyanwu +325
At 21-3 SU in 24 fights, he’s no pushover and has tons of experience. But you shouldn’t bet on him because of his favourable odds. You should be backing Branch because Rockhold is about as obnoxious as they come.
I get what you might be thinking. “Worse than Bisping?!” Well Bisping is there to talk trash, promote fights and speak his mind. There’s no telling what Rockhold is ever really thinking. He speaks in this condescending tones as if he’s wise beyond his years and in touch with some realm of existence that us mere mortals could not comprehend. He’s verbally shovelling the droppings out of a horse’s rear end every time he tries to eschew us with his opinion. It’s hard to listen to.
I’m not discounting Rockhold’s talent because it’s top notch. He’s only lost two fights and has ended 13 of his 15 wins by submission of knockout. The guy is a machine when his main focus is fighting, but it’s hard to know just how determined he is to earn a rematch with current middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
The last time we saw Luke Rockhold in action, he was getting pummelled in to a bloody, lifeless heap by The Count himself in what was a pretty big upset. It’s been over a year since that fight and in the meantime Rockhold has started a modelling career which seems to tickle his fancies. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with it. If you buy in to the idea that Rockhold is a self absorbed ego maniac then it’s probably the perfect career choice for him. Being a model is certainly much easier on the body than getting in to the cage against fellow middleweights.
The question is whether or not Rockhold’s heart is in the cage anymore. It’s not like Branch is a pushover and he himself has made it clear that he’s been waiting for this opportunity for his entire career. Branch has promised that we haven’t seen his best, which is an odd statement coming from an 11-year veteran.
But Branch has also commented flat out that his fighting style exercises patience over power, mostly because that’s been the key to longevity in his career. You don’t throw a newly acquired free-agent like Branch in to the lion’s den against a former champion unless he’s prepared to put on an entertaining show. Dana White doesn’t stand for that.
If Branch is as good as advertised, and Rockhold’s foot is halfway out the octagon already as he preens for the cameras, then you have a very promising underdog play at BetOnline.ag this coming weekend. In a card filled with lopsided fight lines, the one at the very top might be most attractive flier play of them all.
Maybe Branch can do Rockhold a favour and provide him with the loss that will drive him to the catwalk and away from the sport of mixed martial arts.
Fighters to Watch at UFC Fight Night 116
By MMA OddsBreaker
Covers.com
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is headed back to Pittsburg, PA for the third time in promotional history with UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs. Branch. The 11-fight card is scheduled to kick off with preliminary action on UFC Fight Pass at 7:30 p.m. ET. Prelims will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m., with the main card getting going on the same channel at 10 p.m. If interested in wagering on any bouts for these fight cards, all betting lines are made available at 5Dimes Sportsbook.
These are my Fighters to Watch at UFC Fight Night 116 in Pittsburgh:
Luke Rockhold
Rockhold has not seen action since a first round knockout loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 over a year ago, where he lost his middleweight title. He is finally set to return to action following the extended layoff, and he will be taking on former WSOF middleweight and light heavyweight champion David Branch. Branch picked up a split decision victory over Krzysztof Jotko in his return to the UFC and hopes a victory over Rockhold will put him next in line for a shot at the 185-pound gold. Rockhold himself has his sights set on getting his title back, and it all starts with a potential win over Branch on Saturday. Will he find his way back to gold, or will he fall further down the ladder? This weekend, we find out.
Gregor Gillespie
Gillespie is 2-0 inside the Octagon and will be looking to make it three straight when he takes on Jason Gonzalez, who is coming off an impressive win over J.C. Cottrell. Gillespie is one of the biggest favorites on this fight card and rightfully so, as he is currently one of the brightest prospects in the sport. He is a fighter to keep an eye on moving forward, as he could very well be headlining and co-headlining cards in the future. An impressive victory over Gonzalez on Saturday night will likely earn the New Yorker a crack at ranked opposition.
Luke Sanders
Sanders made his UFC debut on short notice one division up, taking on Maximo Blanco at 145 pounds and impressively defeating him via first round rear naked choke submission. He dropped back down to his natural weight class of 135-pounds for his next outing at UFC 209 earlier this year, where he took on Brazil’s Iuri Alcantara and dominated him for a round and a half until getting caught in a kneebar and being forced to tap to the submission. Now having had his first taste of professional mixed martial arts defeat, Sanders is eager to get back inside the Octagon and return to the win column, as he has his sights set on bantamweight gold. Standing in his way this Saturday night in Pittsburgh will be Felipe Arantes, who himself is in search of a return to the win column and is coming off a long layoff, not having seen action in nearly a year.