Gerald Harris showed once again on Saturday night that he's one of the strongest middleweight fighters in MMA, knocking out Dave Branch by picking him up and slamming him to the canvas in the third round of their UFC 116 fight.Harris, a former college wrestler, may not be the most well-rounded mixed martial artist around, but he certainly does have strength and wrestling ability, and he used that perfectly against Branch. Midway through the third round he simply held Branch up in the air and slammed him flat on his back onto the canvas.
Harris views the slam as the best way to get out of a triangle choke.
"We trained that triangle scenario and I knew he was going to go for it," he said afterward. "So I worked staying out of those in practice."
When Branch's head hit the ground, he was immediately knocked unconscious, and Harris recognized that and stopped immediately. It was classy of Harris not to try to hurt Branch any more than he already had.
The victory was Harris's third in the Octagon already in 2010, and it improved his overall MMA record to 17-2. Harris has already earned one Knockout of the Night bonus in the UFC this year, having gotten it when he beat John Salter in January. He might be in line for another.
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