DENVER – Almost as soon as Rob Broughton's UFC career started, it stalled.

Broughton submitted Vinicius Queiroz at UFC 120, and then a shoulder injury sidelined him for much of 2011.

He's back now to fight Travis Browne at tonight's UFC 135 event, and he's hoping "Hapa" will meet him in the center of the octagon.

"One thing I do bring to the cage every time is a good fight, a good scrap," Broughton told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "So, fingers crossed."

Broughton (15-5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Browne (11-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) meet on the main card of UFC 135, which takes place tonight at Denver's Pepsi Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view, and the night's preliminary action airs on Spike TV and streams on Facebook.

Browne looks to make it two in a row after a spectacular knockout of Stefan Struve at UFC 130. Prior to that, he drew Broughton's teammate, Cheick Kongo, on the same card that Broughton earned his octagon keep.

"At the time, Kongo was injured for that fight," Broughton said. "I was helping Kongo, and Kongo's back had problems. So that's why Kongo wasn't on fire. I think if he fought Kongo now, it would be a different story."

Nevertheless, the performances have given Browne momentum in the heavyweight division. But Broughton believes Browne may be a bit overconfident.

"I don't think he's been in with the people I've been in with," he said. "So, let's just see what happens."

Broughton is a bit of a wild card, after all. Three years ago, he was managing himself and taking fights on short notice. In the meantime, he worked as a doorman in Liverpool.

After a long stint on the local U.K. circuit, he took residence three years ago with renowned Wolfslair MMA Academy. The team flew him to Denver two months ago to participate in the camp of former light-heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who headlines UFC 135 opposite champ Jon Jones.

His transition was not a smooth one.

"My first week here, I nearly died," Broughton said. "Drained. Gassed. Spent. When we first got over here, it was 95 (degrees). It just completely wiped me out."

But now, Broughton has acclimated to the mile-high city, and he's firing on all cylinders. He also looks considerably more fit than pictures from his early days. He looks like a professional.

So Browne may have reason to underestimate him. There's a lot of old footage out there that may not reflect what he's done to refine his skills in Denver. For one, he's made sure he can last in the thin air.

"He gasses a little bit," Broughton said of Browne. "I'll put in a hard first round. Maybe (in) the second round ... I'll come into my game. Because, I don't think he's got my cardio. He might be a bit stronger, but he's definitely not got my cardio, and I don't think he's as tough as me either."

All Broughton wants is a good scrap. It's been far too long since he's gotten one of those.

"If Travis Browne wants to come to the center, we'll have a good fight," he said.

And if he manages to steal Browne's thunder? Well, he's aiming high for his next bout.

"I think someone like (Shane) Carwin would be good," Broughton said. "I think me and him would have a good fight."

He'd really be rolling then.

Source -