UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs. Branch | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- May 20
- 6 min read
Table of Contents
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs. Branch took place on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 to 872,000 average viewers (653k FS1 prelims). The card drew 7,005 fans for a gate of $396,190.75. It was the third UFC event in Pittsburgh. The main event was a middleweight bout between former UFC and Strikeforce MW Champion Luke Rockhold and former two-division WSOF Champion David Branch.
Rockhold stopped Branch by TKO in round two after Branch had won round one convincingly. Gregor Gillespie and Jason Gonzalez earned Fight of the Night. Mike Perry and Uriah Hall earned Performance of the Night. Kamaru Usman’s R1 KO of Sergio Moraes (7th consecutive UFC win; future UFC WW Champion) and Anthony Smith’s TKO of Hector Lombard were the card’s other standout results.
Pittsburgh, Rockhold’s Bounce-Back & A Deep Card
Rockhold’s Pittsburgh main event was his first UFC fight since his KO loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 in June 2016 — a 15-month absence. He had held the UFC Middleweight Championship from December 2015 until losing to Bisping. The Pittsburgh booking against David Branch — a technically sound two-division WSOF champion — was a credible step-down from title competition. Branch was 14-3 professionally, 1-0 in the UFC, and had simultaneously held WSOF MW and LHW championships.
Kamaru Usman’s Pittsburgh performance was the card’s most significant result in retrospect. At 30 years old with a 6-0 UFC record entering Pittsburgh, Usman was methodically building the WW contendership that would eventually produce the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 235 in March 2019. His R1 KO of Moraes demonstrated finishing instinct complementing his wrestling-based control style. The Pittsburgh card was deep: six fights ended before the final bell.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, September 16, 2017 (3rd UFC event in Pittsburgh)
📍 Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
👥 Attendance: 7,005
💰 Gate: $396,190.75
📺 Broadcast: Fox Sports 1 — 872,000 avg. viewers (653k FS1 prelims)
Main Event: Rockhold Adjusts & Stops Branch in R2
Branch’s opening round was a statement: his technical striking and defensive wrestling kept Rockhold from executing his preferred game plan. Branch won round one by most media scorers’ assessments. The competitive quality of his R1 performance justified the UFC’s confidence in his main event booking against a former champion.
Rockhold’s adjustments between rounds produced a different tactical approach in round two: a takedown into the clinch, advancement to full mount, and a ground-and-pound sequence that produced the TKO stoppage at 4:04. The finish was the competitive proof that Rockhold’s elite-level MW ability was intact after the Bisping KO, even if the Pittsburgh setting was below his championship-fight commercial register.
Usman’s R1 KO, Anthony Smith, Gillespie FotN & The Card
Kamaru Usman’s first-round KO of Sergio Moraes at 2:48 was his most impressive individual finish to that point in his UFC career. Moraes had won his previous two UFC fights. Usman’s punch from wrestling clinch range combined grappling control with developing striking power. Anthony Smith’s TKO of Hector Lombard in round three was a significant MW win: Lombard was a former Bellator MW champion with legitimate UFC contendership credentials.
Gregor Gillespie’s Fight of the Night arm-triangle choke of Jason Gonzalez in round two extended his undefeated professional record. Gillespie — a Cornell University wrestling standout — was building one of the most technically grounded LW careers in the division’s 2017 rising-star cohort. Mike Perry’s knee KO of Alex Reyes earned PoN. Uriah Hall’s second-round KO of Krzysztof Jotko earned the other PoN. Gilbert Burns won a LW preliminary fight — an early career step before his eventual UFC WW title challenge.
Full Results
Main Card (Fox Sports 1)
Mike Perry def. Alex Reyes — KO (knee) — R1, 1:19 — WW (PoN $50k)
Gregor Gillespie def. Jason Gonzalez — Submission (arm-triangle) — R2, 2:11 — LW (FotN $50k each; Gillespie undefeated Cornell wrestler)
Justin Ledet def. Zu Anyanwu — Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) — HW
Preliminary Card (FS1 / UFC Fight Pass)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Tony Martin — Split Decision — LW
Daniel Spitz def. Anthony Hamilton — TKO — R1, 0:24 — HW (24-second TKO)
Uriah Hall def. Krzysztof Jotko — KO — R2, 2:25 — MW (PoN $50k)
Gilbert Burns def. Jason Saggo — LW (future WW title challenger)
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Gregor Gillespie + Jason Gonzalez — $50,000 each
🥇 Performance of the Night: Mike Perry + Uriah Hall — $50,000 each
Records & Milestones
• Kamaru Usman’s 7th consecutive UFC win — building the WW contendership that produced his UFC WW Championship at UFC 235 in March 2019.
• Luke Rockhold’s first win since losing the UFC MW Championship to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 in June 2016.
• 3rd UFC event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Legacy & Impact
Usman’s Pittsburgh KO was step seven of a 20-fight UFC unbeaten run that included the UFC WW Championship at UFC 235 in March 2019 and five title defenses. Pittsburgh was his 7th consecutive UFC win — the midpoint of the dynasty. Anthony Smith’s Pittsburgh TKO of Lombard was a step before his move to LHW, where five consecutive wins produced a UFC LHW title fight against Jon Jones at UFC 235 in March 2019.
Rockhold’s Pittsburgh win produced a rematch against Yoel Romero at UFC 221 in February 2018 — where Romero produced a second-round KO despite missing weight. Rockhold subsequently lost to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239 in July 2019. Gregor Gillespie’s Pittsburgh FotN was part of an 8-0 run before his first loss to Kevin Lee at UFC 244 in November 2019.
FAQ
What was Rockhold’s career position before Pittsburgh?
Rockhold had not fought since his KO loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 in June 2016 — a 15-month absence. His championship loss was one of 2016’s most discussed results: Bisping’s late R1 KO of a then-regarded best-pound-for-pound MW produced significant discussion about ring rust and short-notice fighting. Pittsburgh was his return and required a performance that validated his elite MW standing after 15 months away.
Who was David Branch before Pittsburgh?
Branch was a 32-year-old Philadelphia fighter who had simultaneously held the WSOF Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Championships. He had joined the UFC with a 13-3 professional record and won his UFC debut. His ability to win round one against a former UFC champion validated his elite credentials.
Who was Kamaru Usman at this stage?
Usman was a 30-year-old Nigerian-American welterweight with an 11-1 professional record entering Pittsburgh. His 7-0 UFC record was built on wrestling-dominant wins. His Pittsburgh KO of Moraes demonstrated an evolving striking capability. His career subsequently produced wins over Leon Edwards, Emil Meek, and Demian Maia before the Woodley title fight at UFC 235 in March 2019.
What was Anthony Smith’s career trajectory?
Smith was a 28-year-old Corpus Christi, Texas fighter competing at MW who had previously been released from the UFC after going 1-3 in his first stint. His Pittsburgh win over Lombard was part of a 4-fight UFC MW win streak that he converted into a move to LHW. At 205 lb, five consecutive LHW wins produced the Jon Jones title fight at UFC 235 in March 2019.
Who was Gregor Gillespie?
Gillespie was a 29-year-old Niagara Falls, New York lightweight who had wrestled at Cornell University before transitioning to MMA. His record was 8-0 entering Pittsburgh with six finishes. His arm-triangle choke of Gonzalez demonstrated BJJ competence layered on his NCAA wrestling base. His subsequent UFC career went 5-0 before his first loss to Kevin Lee at UFC 244 in November 2019.
What was Uriah Hall’s performance quality?
Hall was a 33-year-old Jamaican-American middleweight known for spectacular KO finishes — most famously his axe kick TKO of Adam Cella on The Ultimate Fighter 17. His Pittsburgh KO of Jotko was a continuation of the head-kick and combination KO style that had produced multiple bonus-earning performances. Jotko had won five consecutive UFC fights before Pittsburgh; Hall’s R2 finish over him validated the quality.
References
Comments