David Branch became World Series Of Fighting’s inaugural middleweight champion last night at WSOF 10 after defeating Jesse Taylor by submission in their 185lb tournament final.
Taylor had dropped down early for a guillotine choke attempt, but Branch broke free and then sunk in a fight ending d’arce choke as Taylor attempted to get back to his feet.
In the co-main event Rick Glenn produced an upset victory over Georgi Karakhanyan to become the new WSOF featherweight champion.
Karakhanyan started brightly and threatened with submissions on the mat, but by the end of the round Glenn was on top landing ground and pound. Karakhanyan again looked for the takedown in the second round, but Glenn was able to reverse the position and was then all over his opponent dishing out more ground and pound. Karakhanyan took a beating, but survived the round.
However, it then emerged that he had broken ribs and couldn’t continue into the third round, so Glenn claimed a TKO victory.
Earlier there had been yet another title fight as Jessica Aguilar successfully defended her strawweight title by coasting to a unanimous decision victory (50-44 x3) against Emi Fujino.
It wasn’t the most eventful fight, but Aguilar did dominate the third round enough to earn a 10-8 round as she took Fujino down, threatened to force a tap with a tight arm triangle chokec attempt, and then finished the round in full mount landing ground and pound.
Aguilar is now on a nine-fight unbeaten run and is most certainly the best strawweight not currently signed up to the UFC who will launch their own 115lb division later this year.
Earlier in the evening former UFC fighter Tyson Griffin slumped to his sixth defeat in eight fights with a unanimous decision loss to Luiz Firmino, while Lance Palmer earned a first round rear-naked choke victory against Nick LoBosco.
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Main Card:
David Branch def. Jesse Taylor def. submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 1, 1:41
Rick Glenn def. Georgi Karakhanyan via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00
Jessica Aguilar def. Emi Fujino via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44)
Luiz Firmino def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Lance Palmer def. Nick LoBosco via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:15
Prelims:
Derrick Mehmen def. Dave Huckaba via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-27)
Timur Valiev def. Adam Acquaviva via TKO (flying knee) – Round 3, 1:35
Krasimir Mladenov def. Angel DeAnda via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Marciea Allen via TKO (elbows) – Round 3, 3:01
Jimmy Spicuzza def. Justin Jaynes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
A.J. Williams def. Tanner Cowan via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:44
