Anthony Johnson meets David Branch at Titan Fighting Championship 22
Banished UFC middleweight/welterweight Anthony Johnson (10-4) faces fellow UFC vet David Branch (10-2) at Titan Fighting Championship 22.
HDNet's Ron Kruck today announced the booking, which headlines the event.
Titan Fighting Championship 22 takes place May 25 Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The night's main card airs on HDNet.
Johnson, who went 6-4 in the UFC, had climbed into welterweight and middleweight title contention with a 5-1 run from 2008 to 2011. However, back in January at UFC 142 in Brazil, he badly missed weight for a middleweight bout with Vitor Belfort after weighing in at 197 pounds. It marked his third time missing weight in the UFC, and Johnson was promptly released.
He now meets middleweight Branch, a Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu product who went 2-2 in a four-fight UFC run. Branch sandwiched wins over Rich Attonito and Tomasz Drwal betwwen losses to Rousimar Palhares and Gerald Harris. However, the .500 record wasn't enough to keep Branch in the octagon.
He's since earned wins over Dominique Steele and Jeremy May while competing on the regional scene.
"Anthony Johnson and David Branch are two of the most aggressive, powerful and athletic middleweights in the world, and to have this as the main event of Titan 22 is a defining moment for this brand," Titan FC CEO Joe Kelly stated. "Titan 22 is going to end with 'Rumble' vs. Branch, but wait until you see the fights leading up to it. There will be more familiar faces, and I will be announcing more incredible matchups soon."
