Krzysztof Jotko is favored vs. David Branch at UFC 211 on Saturday night. This bout has been moved from the preliminary card to the main pay-per-view card, as the fight between Henry Cejudo and Sergio Pettis was cancelled. Jotko is 19-1 in his career, including 6-1 in the UFC, while Branch is 20-3 and 2-2 in the UFC. This fight is one of five on the main card which features Stipe Miocic taking on Junior dos Santos and Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Andrade. Let’s look at Jotko vs. Branch and UFC picks.
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Krzysztof Jotko (19-1, 6-1 UFC)
Jotko won his first 13 fights and made his UFC debut in 2013 with a win over Bruno Santos. The second fight for Jotko was a loss to Magnus Cedenblad in 2014. It has been all wins since for Jotko, as he has beaten Tor Troeng, Scott Askham, Brad Scott, Tamdan McCrory and Thales Leites.
The last two fights for Jotko have been his most impressive as he knocked out McCrory and dominated Leites. Jotko will face a tough test against Branch who will have a four inch reach advantage.
David Branch (20-3, 2-2 UFC)
Branch is making his return to the UFC, as he has been in the WSOF in recent years. The last fight for Branch in the UFC took place in March of 2011. Branch had a lot of success in the WSOF, as he was the middleweight and light heavyweight champion.
Branch said that when he was first in the UFC back in 2011 he really wasn’t prepared. “I was a kid when I first got into the UFC,” Branch said on UFC.com. “I wasn’t even a professional. I was just fighting and I didn’t even know what the hell I was doing. I was just out there surviving. I was very green in the game and I was just a puppy. I didn’t understand anything. I was afraid of the lights alone.”
Branch was cut by the UFC but he came back and did really well in the World Series of Fighting with wins against fighters like Yushin Okami, Clifford Starks and Vinny Magalhaes. His only loss was to Anthony Johnson in 2012.
Branch said that just getting back to the UFC is not enough. “A lot of people think that if you make it to the UFC, it’s this big thing. I didn’t do anything yet. I still gotta deliver and I’m gonna deliver.”
UFC Picks
I am somewhat surprised that Jotko is favored in this fight, as Branch has looked really good in recent years. Branch has fought top opponents in the past, while Jotko really hasn’t faced a lot of quality opposition, although he did look good in wins over McCrory and Leites. I will take the plus money and expect Branch to get the win.
UFC 211: Miocic vs. dos Santos 2 takes place on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, with the main event featuring Stipe Miocic defending his UFC heavyweight title against Junior dos Santos.
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Stipe Miocic -129 vs. Junior dos Santos (rounds 1.5 over -190)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk -165 vs. Jessica Andrade (rounds 3.5 over -200)
Jorge Masvidal -115 vs. Demian Maia (rounds 1.5 over -180)
Frankie Edgar -128 vs. Yair Rodriguez (rounds 2.5 over -245)
Krzysztof Jotko -161 vs. David Branch (rounds 2.5 over -265)
Preliminary Card (FX)
Dustin Poirier -129 vs. Eddie Alvarez (rounds 1.5 over -220)
Chas Skelly -130 vs. Jason Knight (rounds 2.5 over -230)
James Vick -400 vs. Marco Polo Reyes (rounds 1.5 over -145)
Jared Gordon -156 vs. Michael Quinones (rounds 2.5 over -170)
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Cortney Casey -119 vs. Jessica Aguilar (rounds 2.5 over -265)
Chase Sherman -156 vs. Rashad Coulter (rounds 1.5 under -130)
Gabriel Benitez -200 vs. Enrique Barzola (rounds 2.5 over -250)
Gadzhimurad Antigulov -365 vs. Joachim Christensen (rounds 1.5 over -120)
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