Branch explains tap to strikes
David Branch: “I took as much punishment as I could. I didn’t just give up. Eventually it came, but I took a lot of knocks before that happened.”
The UFC Fight Night 116 main event had an unusual finish – a tapout due to strikes. Some fans felt that that somehow showed a lack of toughness. In some cases, an odd finish can reasonably bring up that question. For example, when Sage Northcutt tapped to Bryan Barberena’s arm triangle from the far side, he may have been able to hang in the fight longer, but wanted to get out of there. However, David Branch has been fighting professionally for a decade, and has a black belt from Renzo Gracie. He doesn’t need lessons on toughness from asses in seats.
Further, Branch was stuck under maybe the best ground game in mixed martial arts. With all due respect to Jacare Souza and Demian Maia – and huge respect is due – getting out from under Luke Rockhold looks even more impossible. It was Branch’s first loss in five years; afterward, the 35-year-old said he is not deterred from his goal of becoming champion, and knows what he has to do.
I’m right there, he said ranch to Mike Bohn and Matt Erickson for MMAjunkie I’ve just got more work to do. I’m not going to stop now. It’s taken me too long. I will be back. I will return. I came to the UFC to be the champion and I’m not going to let anything deter me. I’ve had these falls before. I know how to deal with these things. I’ve come back from adversity before and I’m going to do it again.
I learned a lot. Not losing in almost six years – perhaps victory defeated me. Getting comfortable, winning all the time and losing a little bit of that fear of losing again. Now I have it again, the same way he had it. When I come back out there again I’m going to be real hungry.
I just got caught in a position that I couldn’t escape. I tried to take the punishment as much as I could, I got busted up a little bit and I decided to save the fight for another day and just come back stronger. I took as much punishment as I could. I didn’t just give up. Eventually it came, but I took a lot of knocks before that happened.”
He was the better man tonight. He defeated me fair and square. I did not go out there to try to lose that fight. I worked really, really had for a long time leading up to this. I thought the skills that I had and the effort would be enough to get the victory tonight, but apparently, it wasn’t. There’s a lot I’ve got to go back and address.
