UFC Vancouver has taken a hit as David Branch is out of his scheduled bout against Andrew Sanchez. Luckily, Marvin Vettori will step in on short notice to fight Sanchez. MMA Junkie was first to report.
Branch was looking to get back into the win column after dropping two straight to Jared Cannonier and Jack Hermansson. The reason for his withdrawal is unknown.
Sanchez, meanwhile, fights in Canada for the second time in a row. He last fought back in May where he beat Marc-Andre Barriault by decision. The 31-year-old is an Ultimate Fighter winner and currently on a two-fight winning streak. He is 4-2 inside the Octagon overall.
Vettori, who is stepping on short notice, is making a quick turnaround after fighting in mid-July at UFC Sacramento. There, he returned after a USADA suspension to beat Cezar Ferreira by decision. Before his suspension, the Italian had a split-decision loss to Israel Adesanya.
The Italian spoke to Sherdog.com after the news was announced and is uber-confident he will win this fight.
“Yeah, he won’t pass the second. He just doesn’t have the skills all-around to match me,” Vettori concluded. “This fight is to just make money. I see a money sign when I see his face.”
UFC Vancouver goes down on Sept. 14 and is headlined by a lightweight fight between Donald Cerrone and Justin Gaethje.
