# 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

Professional record breakdown :
| 31 matches | 19 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 12 | 2 |
| By submission | 5 | 8 |
| By decision | 2 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Win | 17–11 (1) | Marvin Babe | Submission | Horsepower Promotions: Fists of Fury 10 | February 6, 2016 | 1 | 2:43 | Woodward, Oklahoma United States | |
| Win | 16–11 (1) | Alonzo Roane | TKO (punches) | Reality Cage Combat: West Virginia vs. the World | May 18, 2012 | 2 | 1:39 | Charleston, West Virginia United States | |
| Loss | 15–11 (1) | Jessie Gibbs | Submission (rear-naked choke) | PFC 3: Pancrase Fighting Championship 3 | April 2, 2011 | 1 | 2:25 | Marseille, France | |
| Win | 15–10 (1) | Kevin Jordan | TKO (punches) | DFL 1: The Big Bang | November 24, 2010 | 1 | 2:30 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 14–10 (1) | Chris Tuchscherer | TKO (punches) | SNMMA: Beatdown at 4 Bears | March 21, 2009 | 4 | 4:43 | New Town, North Dakota, United States | |
| Win | 14–9 (1) | Roman Zentsov | Decision (unanimous) | BodogFIGHT: Alvarez vs Lee | July 14, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Trenton, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 13–9 (1) | Alexandre Ferreira | Submission (heel hook) | GFC: Evolution | May 19, 2007 | 1 | 0:37 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | Return to Heavyweight. |
| Loss | 13–8 (1) | Jason Lambert | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night 5 | June 28, 2006 | 1 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Light Heavyweight debut. |
| Loss | 13–7 (1) | Jeff Monson | Technical Submission (north-south choke) | UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 | February 4, 2006 | 1 | 4:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–6 (1) | Sean Gannon | TKO (punches) | UFC 55 | October 7, 2005 | 1 | 4:14 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 12–6 (1) | Jason DeAngelo | TKO (submission to strikes) | HHCF 21: Redemption | August 26, 2005 | 1 | N/A | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 11–6 (1) | Tommy Sauer | TKO (punches) | WEF: Sin City | May 20, 2005 | 1 | 2:19 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10–6 (1) | Daisuke Watanabe | Decision | NF 5: Neo Fight 5 | October 2, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | South Korea | |
| Win | 9–6 (1) | Sim Kyum Kim | TKO (punches) | NF 5: Neo Fight 5 | October 2, 2004 | 1 | 3:26 | South Korea | |
| Win | 8–6 (1) | Sang Hyun Park | TKO (leg kick) | NF 2: Neo Fight 2 | December 20, 2003 | 1 | 1:00 | Seoul, South Korea | |
| NC | 7–6 (1) | Sang Min Lee | No Contest | NF 2: Neo Fight 2 | December 20, 2003 | N/A | N/A | Seoul, South Korea | |
| Win | 7–6 | Rogelio Sanchez | Submission (armbar) | VTX: Vale Todo Xtremeo 1 | November 22, 2003 | 1 | 1:23 | Nuevo Laredo, Mexico | |
| Win | 6–6 | Eric Knox | TKO (submission to punches) | NLF: Next Level Fighting | September 13, 2003 | 1 | 1:00 | Steubenville, Ohio, United States | |
| Loss | 5–6 | Gabriel Gonzaga | Submission (triangle choke) | Meca 9: Meca World Vale Tudo 9 | August 1, 2003 | 1 | 3:54 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 5–5 | Jorge Rivera | TKO (corner stoppage) | RSF 2: Attack at the Track | June 23, 2001 | 2 | 1:54 | Chester, West Virginia, United States | |
| Win | 4–5 | George Allen | TKO (punches) | RSF 1: Redemption in the Valley | April 21, 2001 | 2 | N/A | Wheeling, West Virginia, United States | |
| Loss | 3–5 | Volk Han | Submission (triangle armbar) | RINGS: Millennium Combine 2 | June 15, 2000 | 1 | 8:11 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 3–4 | Yoshihisa Yamamoto | Submission (rear-naked choke) | WEF 9: World Class | May 13, 2000 | 1 | 2:21 | Evansville, Indiana, United States | |
| Loss | 2–4 | Wataru Sakata | Submission (leg lock) | RINGS: Millennium Combine 1 | April 20, 2000 | 1 | 7:23 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 2–3 | Maurice Smith | Decision (majority) | RINGS: King of Kings 1999 Block B | December 22, 1999 | 2 | 5:00 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Win | 2–2 | Travis Fulton | TKO (injury) | HFP: Holiday Fight Party | December 11, 1999 | 1 | 12:38 | Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 1–2 | Carlos Barreto | Submission (guillotine choke) | IVC 8: The Road Back to the Top | January 20, 1999 | 1 | 4:32 | Aracaju, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–1 | Masanori Suda | TKO (upkicks) | VTJ 1998: Vale Tudo Japan 1998 | October 25, 1998 | 1 | 5:26 | Urayasu, Japan | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Ebenezer Fontes Braga | Submission (triangle choke) | IVC 6: The Challenge | August 23, 1998 | 1 | 12:33 | São Paulo, Brazil | |