David Branch will be making his first appearance following his UFC release.
Branch will take on Alexander Shlemenko at Russian Cagefighting Championship 7 on Dec. 14 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. <a href=" The 38-year-old Branch recently failed an out-of-competition drug test, testing positive for the banned substance ipamorelin, which stimulates HGH production. He was subsequently released from the UFC and would have only been eligible to return on July 26, 2021. Branch went 2-4 in his UFC tenure, including a big 2018 knockout win over recent UFC light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos.
He will return to action under the RCC banner when he takes on 72-fight veteran Shlemenko, who has already made two appearances for the promotion, picking up finishes over Jonas Billstein and Viscardi Andrade.
