Branden Lee Hinkle

Branden Lee Hinkle is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 until 2016, he competed for the UFC, RINGS, Vale Tudo Japan, Pancrase, the WEF, and the International Vale Tudo Championship.

Background Born and raised in Jefferson, Ohio, Hinkle holds an accomplished wrestling background, competing at West Liberty State College in West Virginia where he was a two-time NCAA Division II Champion, a U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling All-American and also excelled at tennis, being a West Virginia College Conference Tennis Champion.

Mixed martial arts career Early career Hinkle was offered a fight in Brazil for $1,000 and an all-expenses paid trip. He accepted and made his professional debut against future PRIDE veteran Ebenezer Fontes Braga in 1998 for the International Vale Tudo organization in Brazil. The inexperienced Hinkle lost the fight by submission (triangle choke). After amassing a 12-6-1 record, with wins over Travis Fulton, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, and Jorge Rivera, Hinkle was signed by the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Hinkle made his UFC debut against Sean Gannon at UFC 55. Gannon, a former Boston police officer, had gained fame for defeating Kimbo Slice in an organized but unsanctioned fight that was uploaded to YouTube. Hinkle won the fight by TKO, but dropped his next three consecutive fights against veteran Jeff Monson, former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Jason Lambert, and another UFC veteran, Alexandre Ferreira.

Post-UFC Hinkle then bounced back with a unanimous decision win over former PRIDE veteran Roman Zentsov before facing fellow collegiate wrestler and future UFC veteran, Chris Tuchscherer. Hinkle was knocked out by punches. In his next fight he faced UFC and Strikeforce veteran Kevin Jordan, and won by TKO.

Hinkle then debuted in Pancrase, but lost by submission (rear-naked choke). Hinkle's last professional fight was in 2016, in Woodward, Oklahoma, which he won by submission.

Championships and accomplishments Wrestling National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Division II Champion USA Wrestling US National Freestyle Wrestling All-American

Mixed martial arts Neo Fight Korean Neo Fight World Heavyweight Champion World Extreme Fighting World Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Champion

Tennis West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference WV College Conference Tennis Champion

Mixed martial arts record Win

Marvin Babe Submission Horsepower Promotions: Fists of Fury 10

Woodward, Oklahoma United States Win

Alonzo Roane TKO (punches) Reality Cage Combat: West Virginia vs. the World

Charleston, West Virginia United States Loss

Jessie Gibbs Submission (rear-naked choke) PFC 3: Pancrase Fighting Championship 3

Marseille, France Win

Kevin Jordan TKO (punches) DFL 1: The Big Bang

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Loss

Chris Tuchscherer TKO (punches) SNMMA: Beatdown at 4 Bears

New Town, North Dakota, United States Win

Roman Zentsov Decision (unanimous) BodogFIGHT: Alvarez vs Lee

Trenton, New Jersey, United States Loss

Alexandre Ferreira Submission (heel hook) GFC: Evolution

Columbus, Ohio, United States Return to Heavyweight. Loss

Jason Lambert TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night 5

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Light Heavyweight debut. Loss

Jeff Monson Technical Submission (north-south choke) UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Sean Gannon TKO (punches) UFC 55

Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Win

Jason DeAngelo TKO (submission to strikes) HHCF 21: Redemption

Columbus, Ohio, United States Win

Tommy Sauer TKO (punches) WEF: Sin City

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Daisuke Watanabe Decision NF 5: Neo Fight 5

South Korea Win

Sim Kyum Kim TKO (punches) NF 5: Neo Fight 5

South Korea Win

Sang Hyun Park TKO (leg kick) NF 2: Neo Fight 2

Seoul, South Korea NC

Sang Min Lee No Contest NF 2: Neo Fight 2

Seoul, South Korea Win

Rogelio Sanchez Submission (armbar) VTX: Vale Todo Xtremeo 1

Nuevo Laredo, Mexico Win

Eric Knox TKO (submission to punches) NLF: Next Level Fighting

Steubenville, Ohio, United States Loss

Gabriel Gonzaga Submission (triangle choke) Meca 9: Meca World Vale Tudo 9

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Win

Jorge Rivera TKO (corner stoppage) RSF 2: Attack at the Track

Chester, West Virginia, United States Win

George Allen TKO (punches) RSF 1: Redemption in the Valley

Wheeling, West Virginia, United States Loss

Volk Han Submission (triangle armbar) RINGS: Millennium Combine 2

Tokyo, Japan Win

Yoshihisa Yamamoto Submission (rear-naked choke) WEF 9: World Class

Evansville, Indiana, United States Loss

Wataru Sakata Submission (leg lock) RINGS: Millennium Combine 1

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Maurice Smith Decision (majority) RINGS: King of Kings 1999 Block B

Osaka, Japan Win

Travis Fulton TKO (injury) HFP: Holiday Fight Party

Georgia, United States Loss

Carlos Barreto Submission (guillotine choke) IVC 8: The Road Back to the Top

Aracaju, Brazil Win

Masanori Suda TKO (upkicks) VTJ 1998: Vale Tudo Japan 1998

Urayasu, Japan Loss

Ebenezer Fontes Braga Submission (triangle choke) IVC 6: The Challenge

São Paulo, Brazil