UFC on ESPN 2 video: Jack Hermansson chokes out David Branch in 49 seconds

The middleweight division has a new contender.

Jack Hermansson may have seemed like an unlikely candidate to co-headline the UFC’s second card on ESPN, but he proved that he belonged by taking out veteran David Branch in just 49 seconds with a guillotine choke at UFC Philadelphia on Saturday.

A respected grappler, Branch had only been submitted once in his 11-year career, the last time by Rousimar Palhares in March 2011 (he also tapped out to strikes in a September 2017 bout to Luke Rockhold). The crafty Hermansson looked to be in a different class as he wrestled Branch to the mat and locked in a tight choke that left Branch with no choice but to tap or go to sleep.

This was the third straight win for Hermansson (19-4), who also scored a guillotine choke in his last outing against submission specialist Gerald Meerschaert, and a third-round TKO against one-time UFC middleweight title challenger Thales Leites last March.

Post-fight, “The Joker” asked that his next bout be one that puts him in position for a future title shot.