WSOF 10 Date: June 21, 2014 Arena: The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino City: Las Vegas, NV Middleweight title bout: David Branch (+130) vs Jesse Taylor (-160) Fight Breakdown: The main event for WSOF 10 will be a match-up for the promotion’s inaugural middleweight title, and a five round battle is expected when Dave Branch squares off against Jesse Taylor. Branch is the betting underdog heading into this one at +130 ($100 to win $130), with Taylor being the favorite to win at -160 ($160 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. David Branch (13-3 MMA, 3-0 WSOF) is heading into this World Series of Fighting inaugural middleweight title bout being undefeated in the promotion with three consecutive victories. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie, though he does not usually go for many submission attempts. Only three of his 13 professional Mixed Martial Arts career victories have been by way of tapout. Branch seems to be more interested in smothering and outpointing opponents than he does in finishing them. That goes for on the feet, as well, as he tries to outstrike and score takedowns, rather than look for the knockout. He works great takedowns and has a solid top game. He generally has good submission defense, though that did not stop him from tapping to a Rousimar Palhares kneebar, which resulted in his release from the UFC organization. The Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu team member has great conditioning and should be ready for 25 minutes of action against Taylor, should the fight go the distance. Jesse Taylor (27-9 MMA, 1-0 WSOF) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Elvis Mutapcic at WSOF 7 over six months ago. The win made it seven in a row for Taylor, who is now looking to capture the World Series of Fighting middleweight goal to become the division’s inaugural champion. Taylor was on season seven of The Ultimate Fighter reality series and made it all the way to the show’s finals, but was kicked off for drunken behavior in a Las Vegas casino on a night leading up to his fight. Dana White immediately fired him. He was given another shot after cleaning up his act, though after being submitted by CB Dollaway via Peruvian necktie, he was again released from the promotion. A win over Branch will put a title around his waist, and if he has it his way, he’ll get another shot inside the Octagon. Taylor is a talented wrestler who possesses excellent takedowns. He is a very powerful middleweight, especially when in top position, where he likes to display his dominance. His striking has been rudimentary, though it has been improving. He does not look to stand and trade, though, he makes it no secret that he wants to take you down and beat you up or submit you. His cardio is generally good, so I think he will be able to go 25 minutes here, should the fight last that long. The biggest issue for Taylor throughout his career has been his heart; often times when he has found himself in trouble, he has opted to quit. That said, in those fights he did not seem nearly as motivated and hungry as he has recently. Gabe’s Prediction: Simply put, I see this as being a grappling-heavy fight that goes the distance more often than not. I give the edge to Taylor, but would not be surprised to see Branch pick up the win. Gabe’s Call: Taylor by Majority Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-48) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Over 4.5 rounds (-150) 3u to win 2u
