Maktar Gueye's rapid fire punch combinations will be on display Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on HDNet.
Team England’s Ian Butlin and Team France’s Maktar Gueye only know how to fight one way: full speed ahead. The two lightweight freight trains collided in the night on June 6 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City and the outcome was explosive.
The nine second knockout between Gueye and Butlin will be just one of five fights featured during Friday’s telecast of the M-1 Challenge (www.M-1Global.com) at 8 p.m. ET on HDNet.
In addition to the stunning knockout, Friday’s episode will also feature English heavyweight Rob Broughton, who made national headlines as he was one of several fighters displaced last week when Affliction canceled its “Trilogy” event. Still a top prospect in the M-1 Challenge, Broughton will look to improve his M-1 record to 2-0 when he faces decorated French amateur wrestling standout Soufian Elgarne.
Also featured in the best-of-five series to determine the division leader in Group A, England’s post-season hopes will rest on the likes of Simon Phillips, Matt Thorpe, and Danny Giblin. After starting their season with a 4-1 victory against Japan in April on Japan’s home turf, Team England must maintain their momentum in order to prevent France from taking over the division lead.
Thorpe, one of the best submission fighters in the M-1 Challenge, will be put to test against another submission ace, rising star Christophe Daffreville. Meanwhile, Phillips, who wowed the crowd in Japan with his 20 second knockout of Hidehiko Hasegawa, will gun for another KO against French welterweight Gael Grimaud.
In the end, England’s playoff hopes could come down to Giblin, who stepped in as the team’s light heavyweight representative after Tom Blackledge was called away to Las Vegas to assist close friend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as a coach during the upcoming tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. But Giblin’s M-1 debut will not be an easy one, as he faces one of France’s best young fighters, Johan Romming, 3-0.
The heated rivalry between England and France starts at 8 p.m. ET sharp Friday on HDNet, which will preceed Inside MMA at 9 p.m. ET. For complete results, rosters, standings, and more information regarding the M-1 Challenge, remember to visit www.M-1Global.com and to watch the M-1 Challenge all season long at 8 p.m. ET on HDNet.
