Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight, David Branch, withdrew from his Andrew Sanchez fight on ESPN+ in Vancouver back in early August for what at the time, were undisclosed reasons.
No longer.
Branch, 37, flunked an out-of-competition drug test for ipamorelin, which stimulates HGH production, and drew a two-year suspension from United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The earliest he can return is July 26, 2021.
Branch (22-6) originally parted ways with UFC back in 2011, but after racking up 10 straight wins and a pair of division titles for the now-defunct World Series of Fighting (WSOF) organization, the jiu-jitsu ace was brought back into the fold.
Unfortunately, Branch was unable to replicate his earlier success, dropping his last two fights and three of his last five. It would be surprising if the promotion welcomed him back at the age of 39, but it’s hard to rule anything out in this crazy industry.