ONE Championship: David Branch signed to one-fight deal, ‘we can talk for real’ if former UFC star impresses says Chatri Sityodtong
- ‘I’m not sure if it makes sense to invest in a brand new signing when the athlete is a little bit older,’ Chatri says of signing 40-year-old Branch
- ONE boss agreed to deal with Branch after ‘pestering’ from manager Ali Abdelaziz – ‘he was pounding the table for the last six months’
David Branch will make his ONE Championship debut against Leandro Ataides at ONE: Full Circle on February 25, but his future with the promotion is very much up in the air.
Branch (22-7) has had an impressive MMA career, previously reigning as a two-division champion in the defunct World Series of Fighting organisation and going 4-5 over the course of two runs in the UFC. However, the American is now 40 years old and has not fought since he was submitted by Alexander Shlemenko at a regional MMA event in Russia in 2019.
Based on that, ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was initially reluctant to sign Branch, but after being pushed by the fighter’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, ultimately agreed to a one-fight deal.
“This signing is a one-fight deal with David Branch,” Chatri told the Post. “Ali Abdelaziz, his manager, was pounding the table for the last six months, almost every week. Finally we said we’ll do it.”
“I think David Branch is obviously a phenomenal athlete, a world champion, but ONE is not in the business of signing 40-year-olds who might be past their prime,” he added.
“I want superstars that are in their prime, or rising stars that have the potential to be global superstars. That’s our bread and butter.