Watch Rob Broughton fight Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on HDNet as he prepares for his debut at Affliction and M-1 "Trilogy" on Aug. 1
Even though he has made headlines in England thanks to notable wins over James Thompson, Neil Grove, Martin Thompson, and Eric “Butterbean” Esch, Rob Broughton was a virtual unknown to U.S. fans until Affliction and M-1’s recent announcement that he will be facing fellow M-1 Challenge fighter Jessie Gibbs on Aug. 1 at Affliction and M-1’s “Trilogy” event.
In anticipation of his bout vs. Gibbs, U.S. fight fans can take a close look at Broughton prior to his U.S. debut during Friday’s telecast of the “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction” (www.M-1Global.com) at 8 p.m. ET on HDNet (www.HDNetFights.com).
Broughton’s heavyweight tilt with Japanese prospect Yusuke Kawaguchi will be featured during Team England’s best-of-five clash against Team Japan at Differ Ariake in Tokyo. Broughton entered the fight with an 8-4-1 record and will look to notch the ninth professional win of his MMA career while also handing Kawaguchi, 8-0, his first-ever loss.
In addition to Broughton, viewers will also be able to get a close look at Tom Blackledge, who is rumored to be a part of the cast for the upcoming tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. The U.K. native trains at the Wolfslair Academy alongside Cheick Kongo, Paul Kelly, and Michael Bisping and is close friends with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. That friendship was never more apparent in Tokyo as Jackson traveled halfway around the world to help corner Blackledge for Friday’s fight vs. Team Japan’s Tatsuya Mizuno.
In addition to Broughton and Blackledge, Friday’s telecast will also feature Ian “M-16” Butlin, Matt “12 Gauge” Thorpe, and knockout specialist Simon Phillips in action. Butlin, the self-proclaimed top lightweight in the United Kingdom, will face DEEP veteran Luiz Andrada; Phillips will take on long-time Pancrase fighter Hidehiko Hasegawa; while Thorpe will test his slick ground game against Yusuke Masuda.
