ACB 47: Rob Whiteford, Norman Parke and Saul Rogers looking to make a statement in Glasgow

A HOST of British mixed martial arts fighting talent will be on display at the SSE Hydro on Saturday night as Russian MMA promotion Absolute Championship Berkut makes its UK debut.

ACB 47: Braveheart will not only showcase the rising promotion, whose slogan is ‘Less Show, More Fighting’, but also a group of UK fighters looking to prove a point.

Headlining the fight card is Scottish MMA icon and former Commonwealth Games medal-winning judoka Robert ‘The Hammer’ Whiteford.

The fiesty featherweight – the first Scottish athlete to compete in the UFC – takes on Frenchman Kevin Petshi in the main event on Saturday night in a 140lb catchweight contest.

And despite having to lose five extra pounds from his usual featherweight cut, Whiteford made weight comfortably and was in great spirits when I caught up with him at the promotional photoshoot at the Hydro on Friday afternoon.

Also in good form was Northern Ireland’s Norman Parke who, along with Whiteford, is looking to bounce back after the disappointment of being cut from the UFC roster earlier this year.

‘Stormin’ Norman faces Andrew Fisher in a lightweight contest on the main card of the stacked lineup in Glasgow this weekend.

And another man looking to rebound from UFC disappointment, Saul Rogers was looking in great shape ahead of his contest against Michell Adelina.

Lightweight prospect Rogers looked destined for a spot in the UFC after ripping through the field in The Ultimate Fighter, only for visa problems to derail his plans.

Now signed to a multi-fight contract with ACB, Rogers is keen to cement his position as one of the premier lightweight fighters outside the UFC with another dominant display.

And long-serving stalwart of the UK MMA scene Jake ‘Brutal’ Bostwick gets a chance to shine in one of the most eagerly-anticipated bouts of the night, as he takes on another former UFC fighter, fellow Brit Danny ‘The Cheesecake Assassin’ Mitchell.

Whiteford, Rogers, Parke and Bostwick all checked in on the SunSport ‘Fighter Cam’ at the Hydro Arena on Friday ahead of their respective bouts. Check it out below.

Watch ACB 47: Braveheart live on The Sun website on Saturday night from 4:30pm, with additional live text commentary and live scoring from The Sun’s Simon Head on our live blog.