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 Several Bookmakers. 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.
