Exclusive: Hamza Kooheji Out To Make History At BRAVE CF 57

Bahrain’s Hamza Kooheji is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career when he takes on Canada’s Brad Katona in the main event of BRAVE CF 57 on March 11 inside the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, Bahrain. The two men will battle it out for the vacant BRAVE CF bantamweight title. […]

The two men will battle it out for the vacant BRAVE CF bantamweight title. If Kooheji wins, he will become the first Bahrain-born combat sports champion, a massive achievement for the 29-year-old.

‘I’m excited and motivated for this fight,” Kooheji said, speaking to LowkickMMA.

“He’s tough, but I’m tougher. The camp was the hardest camp I have had in the last ten years. If you watch my fights, you will notice that I am a better fighter with every fight. Even when I’m not fighting, I’m still training and looking for improvements.”

Kooheji first competed for BRAVE CF at the promotion’s inaugural show back in 2016, where he scored a second-round submission victory over Egypt’s Mohamed Mashaly. Since then, he has watched as the Bahrain-based promotion has gone from strength to strength, breaking new ground for MMA by staging shows in countries where other MMA promotions do not venture and bringing in an influx of talented fighters.

“BRAVE CF has evolved a lot since the beginning, the level of fighters here are really high, and they are really good fighters; everyone who knows about MMA knows about BRAVE Combat Federation, ” he said.

Kooheji has built an 8-1 record under the BRAVE CF banner and comes into this fight riding a four-fight winning streak, with a victory over Welshman Aidan James at BRAVE CF 42 earning him this week’s title shot. The KHK MMA fighter is well aware of Katona’s pedigree and is looking forward to testing himself against the season 27 winner of The Ultimate Fighter.

“I have always been attached to fighting. So to get to fight professionally is a life I would’ve always chosen. I don’t like an easy life; I always look for tough roads [in order] to build myself.”

If Kooheji can get his raised on Friday against Katona, it would be a triumph for both him and his team and see his name permanently etched into the history books of Bahrain sport. The pressure is immense but then so is the reward.

How do you think this fight goes down?

VIDEO | Rolling Thunder Drops Referee During MMA SuperCup Match In Bahrain

A buzzer-beating rolling thunder kick landed just before the close of the round during a match at the MMA SuperCup in Bahrain – with a Team Mexico representative landing the strike, however, on referee, Scott Manhardt – momentarily dropping the official. Taking on Team Ireland in their pivotal semi final bracket, Team Mexico – who […]

Taking on Team Ireland in their pivotal semi final bracket, Team Mexico – who entered the inaugural tournament on just a week’s notice, eventually bowed out at the semi final stage.

The inaugural 2022 MMA SuperCup takes place in Manama, Bahrain in association with IMMAF

However, footage of one of their outings at the event went viral across social media – with referee, Manhardt suffering a rather surprising knockdown at the close of the round, courtesy of an innovative rolling thunder strike from Team Mexico.

Poking fun at the knockdown, Team Ireland team manager, Liam-Og Griffin questioned Safe MMA and IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation) if Manhardt would be issued a 45-day no-contact suspension off the back of the knockdown at the MMA SuperCup.

“I wonder if @SafeMMAUK and @IMMAFed will issue a 45 day suspension for @ScottManhardt? (laughing face emoji). @marcgoddard_uk You gotta add head movement into the referee training.”

Poking fun at the knockdown, Manhardty shared a different camera angle of the knockdown, as well as joking about how the Team Ireland fighter reacted to the knockdown.

“Better angle,” Scott Manhardt tweeted.

Eventually progressing to the finale, Team Ireland – which is headed up by the aforenoted, Griffin and head coach, Team Ryano leader, Andy Ryan, will feature on Saturday against Team Bahrain – after the hosts landed a semi final bracket success against Team Kazakhstan later this evening.

The inaugural 2022 MMA Supercup, which takes place in Manama, Bahrain – kicked off on Wednesday this week as part of the BRAVE CF International Combat Week, consisting of eight teams from different regions and nations.

The eventual tournament victor between Team Ireland and Team Bahrain will net a grand prize of $100,000 – with the funds expected to be used to help improve and develop the sport and infrastructure in the winning nation.

Second place runners up will net a further $75,000 – while both the aforenoted, Team Mexico, and Team Kazakhstan will compete in the best-third placed playoff to score a $50,000 cash prize to complete the inaugural MMA SuperCup.

Exclusive: TUF 27 Winner Brad Katona Chases Gold At BRAVE CF 57

From competing in small-town shows in Canada to preparing to headline BRAVE CF 57 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Brad Katona’s MMA career has been nothing if not eventful. This week, the Canadian, who fights out of SBG Ireland, returns to action when he takes on Bahrain’s Hamza Kooheji for the vacant BRAVE CF bantamweight […]

From competing in small-town shows in Canada to preparing to headline BRAVE CF 57 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Brad Katona’s MMA career has been nothing if not eventful.

This week, the Canadian, who fights out of SBG Ireland, returns to action when he takes on Bahrain’s Hamza Kooheji for the vacant BRAVE CF bantamweight title on Friday, March 11, inside the Khalifa Sports City Arena. It’s an important bout for Katona, who wants to establish himself as one of the world’s best bantamweights. However, as he readies himself for his first world title fight, he is still able to take a moment and enjoy the situation he finds himself in.

“It’s from prairies in the middle of kind of nowhere to Bahrain and then flying back and calling Ireland home. It’s all so alien and so exciting that you have to be grateful for it, ” Katona told LowkickMMA.

This week’s fight will be Katona’s third bout with BRAVE CF after he signed with the promotion in 2021. He picked up a second-round submission victory on debut at BRAVE CF 50 before defeating Kazakhstan’s Bair Shtepin via unanimous decision at BRAVE CF 53 to secure his title shot.

Katona rose to fame in 2018 after defeating Jay Cucciniello to win The Ultimate Fighter 27. He then scored a victory over Matthew Lopez at UFC 231 before consecutive losses saw him released from the UFC. The 30-year-old has bounced back in impressive style, and this week’s fight offers him the perfect opportunity to remind MMA fans of the talent he brings to the table.

“We’re not looking past Hamza; we’re looking through him, as a teammate of mine says. But the journey doesn’t end here with the belt. It ends when my legacy is built over the years,” Katona explains.

” I have been saying it since I started. I’m going to be one of the best, if not the best, bantamweights in the world. And claiming the BRAVE world title, I think, is a good start to that.

“It’s something my team wants. John Kavanaugh really wants that BRAVE belt, and I already brought them one Ultimate Fighter trophy, so I might as well bring them the BRAVE championship.”

If you had to sum up Katona’s approach to MMA, the word scientific quickly springs to mind. The Winnipeg native has a degree in mechanical engineering and has transposed what he learned at University to the world of MMA.

” It’s this continual improvement, the Kaizen mentality of always trying to seek improvement and take away weaknesses, “he explains.

“Competition is one aspect of that where I can improve and test. In the training room, you’re prototyping, you’re studying, and then you have to test because everything works in theory. We do our simulations, and we do our spar, we do all that. You are putting the prototype in the wind tunnel, but at some point, you got to build the plane and fly. So that’s what we’re doing, So I love that approach. “

The scientific approach will be helpful when it comes time to step into the cage with Koohej. The 29-year-old Koohej is riding a four-fight winning streak and, according to Katona, is somewhat of a shapeshifter who can adopt different styles. It means that Katona may need to have multiple strategies on hand, depending on what version of Koohej shows up.

On Friday, Koohej can claim the bantamweight title and make history by becoming the first Bahrain-born combat sports world champion. It adds an extra element to the fight, and Katona is intrigued by how it impacts his opponent.

“I am curious. I’m ready for him to be excited, anxious, [to] try and take me out quick. I’m ready for him trying to suppress those nerves and come out slowly and try to go 25 minutes.

“‘I’m curious on how the crowd’s going to be. Are they going to be, you know, extremely loud and excited every time he throws something? Probably. Are they going to be somewhat more hostile towards me? That’s a possibility as well.”

However the fight unfolds, you can bet that Katona will be ready for it and will be relishing the chance to solve one of the most challenging puzzles in the BRAVE CF bantamweight division.

How do you see this fight going down at BRAVE CF 57?

Exclusive: Mohammad Fakhreddine Is Ready To ‘Put On A Show For Everybody’ At BRAVE CF 52

Mohammad Fakhreddine is ready for a change, to turn the page on his long-running feud with Algeria’s Mohamed Said Maalem and start a new chapter in his storied career. However, before that can happen, the Lebanese fighter needs to take care of business on March 11 at BRAVE CF 57 in Bahrain, where he and […]

Mohammad Fakhreddine is ready for a change, to turn the page on his long-running feud with Algeria’s Mohamed Said Maalem and start a new chapter in his storied career.

However, before that can happen, the Lebanese fighter needs to take care of business on March 11 at BRAVE CF 57 in Bahrain, where he and Said Maalem will face off for the vacant light heavyweight title. Fakhreddine is already the promotion’s middleweight king, and a win this week will see him become the first double champion in BRAVE’s history.

” I can’t wait for this fight to happen; I can’t wait to get it over and done with. I know maybe we’ll have to fight one more time, but for now, I just want to get this fight done and move on,” Fakhreddine said, speaking to LowkickMMA.

The year-long rivalry dates back to when Fakhreddine and Said Maalem initially met at BRAVE CF 50. There had been tension in the build-up, but it boiled over after illness forced Fakhreddine to withdraw from the contest the day of the fight. Although Fakhreddine acted on doctors’ advice, Maalem mocked his rival and claimed he would have fought if the roles had been reversed.

BRAVE CF’s matchmakers quickly rebooked the bout for BRAVE CF 52 in Italy. The two men then engaged in a heated war of words with their genuine disdain for one another, coupled with their explosive styles, leading to the contest being the most anticipated in BRAVE CF’s history.

The fight was a short, action-packed affair, with Said Maalem seemingly earning himself a first-round TKO win. However, after footage emerged of the Algerian landing repeated illegal blows to the back of Fakhreddine’s head, the Italian commission overturned the result to a no-contest.

“It should have been a DQ on the spot, but that didn’t happen, and I don’t want the belt with a DQ win. I want to win the belt when I beat his arse, that’s how I want to win the belt. ” Fakhreddine said.

After moving to Dubai from Lebanon, the 37-year-old has brought in sparring partners from his homeland and Kuwait to help prepare him for the rematch. After two false starts against Said Maalem, Fakhreddine has been training the house down in preparation for this bout.

” I’m bringing a different animal to the table this time. Physically, I’m 100 times better than the last fight, 100 times stronger as well. So last time he couldn’t handle my power, he couldn’t handle my strength. So this time, I know he won’t be able to for sure.”

A born competitor, it has been almost 18 months — ignoring the no-contest — since Fakhreddine has had a whole fight, and he is hungry to show fans what he has been working on inside the gym. The game plan against Said Maalem remains relatively unchanged, and like always, Fakhreddine will make sure that those watching get their money’s worth.

“‘I’m going to come in there, I’m going to walk forward, and I’m going to try to finish the fight. Nothing’s going to change; this is me.

“Everybody knows that I’ve come for a brawl. I might be technical. I’m good when I want to be technical. But I like to give my fans a good show, and I like to put on a show for everybody.”

Fakhreddine may be aiming to entertain BRAVE’s worldwide fan-base, but there is one group in particular that he wants to inspire and bring joy to; the Lebanese people. Lebanon is in the grip of a significant economic downturn, with 40 percent of the population thinking about emigrating, and Fakhreddine is well aware of the plight his compatriots are going through.

“People are struggling. A lot of people I know don’t even have food to eat, So they have to pretty much just hustle to get some food, and I feel sorry for the people going through this hard time. I feel them; I was there just recently, and I know how it is. It’s hard, and I feel really bad for the people that live there, ” he explains.

“It’s going to be a pleasure to put a smile on some of those people’s faces. I know people are going to be happy back home, whether they know me or not. I’m going to be representing each and every one of them. I’m going to raise that flag high on March 11; no matter what happens, I’m going to raise that flag high. I’m going to put a smile on a lot of people’s faces. I’m going to be giving hope to a lot of people as well.”

When Fakhreddine enters the cage this week, he will be fighting for more than personal glory or to simply defeat a bitter rival. He will be fighting for everyone in Lebanon who dreams of following their own path and building their own future.

Will you be watching Fakhreddine’s rematch with Said Maalem?

Inaugural MMA Super Cup To Take Place At BRAVE International Combat Week

BRAVE CF has developed a reputation as one of the most dynamic MMA promotions currently on the scene. The Bahrain-based organization has staged events in 25 countries and has held 56 events since the company’s inception in 2016. In addition, the promotion’s impressive scouting program has seen the company introduce names such as Khamzat Chimaev […]

However, starting on March 8, BRAVE CF will go one step further in helping grow MMA when it hosts the inaugural Mixed Martial Arts Super Cup during BRAVE International Combat Week in the Kingdom of Bahrain. BRAVE CF will promote the tournament jointly with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation — which recently wrapped up its 2021 World Championships.

The concept is simple. Selected countries will send a team of nine fighters and three substitutes to compete in a knockout tournament. Each stage will consist of nine fights, and whichever country picks up the most victories moves on to the next stage. The bouts will consist of three, three-minute rounds. In the event of a draw, an extra round will take place.

The prizes on offer are substantial, especially when you consider the fact that few national amateur MMA federations get government funding. The winning federation will pocket US$100,000; the runners-up will collect US$75,000, with the third-place team receiving US$50,000.

The draw for the tournament took place last week at the Grand Wyndham Garden Manama in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The competing nations whose names went into the draw were Russia, Ukraine, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Ireland, and Tajikistan. In addition, two wildcard teams were also added into the mix, and they were a Balkan and an Arab team, made up of the top fighters from each region.

Russia and Bahrain will head into the tournament as the bookies’ favorites, and the mind games between the two camps have already started. Team Bahrain’s head coach, Eldar Eldarov, felt that his chief rivals had got an easier first-round matchup, as well as ending up on the side of the bracket, which on paper appears less difficult.

“Russia got an easy draw for MMA Super Cup, but the harder the way, the better the feeling will be when we get this cup,” said Eldar.

Russian head coach Gennady Pavlovich Kapshay appeared to agree.

“I can’t hide the fact that we were lucky with our rivals in the qualifying stage. In the other subgroup, three strong national teams of Bahrain, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan will meet at once.”

The creation of an MMA Super Cup offers fans the chance to support their country in a way that, up until now, they have not been able to do. Over time the tournament could become a must-see fixture for fight fans, as well as a launching pad for emerging talent.

Do you like the concept of an MMA Super Cup

Exclusive: BRAVE CF Broadcast Team’s Favorite Fights Of 2021 & Fights To Be Made In 2022

BRAVE CF held its final show of the year this weekend, with BRAVE CF 56 going in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sat. December 18. It has been an eventful 12 months for the Bahrain-based promotion, with 11 events being staged throughout the year. To celebrate the year that was, LowkickMMA caught up with the three wise […]

To celebrate the year that was, LowkickMMA caught up with the three wise men of the BRAVE CF broadcast team, Commentators Phil Cambell and Kirik Jenness, and “The Roaring Lion,” BRAVE CF’s in-ring announcer Carlos Kremer.

We asked them to share with us their favorite moment of the Year, Fight of the Year, and the match-ups they most wanted to see in 2022. Here are the picks they made for Fight of the Year— for Jenness, he selected one from the end of 2020 as it left a deep impression — as well as the fights they most want to see in 2022.

Phil Cambell – BRAVE CF commentator

Fight of the Year

My favorite fight of the year has to be the main event of Brave Combat Federation 53 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. That was Tae Kyun Kim taking on Nurzhan Akishev. These guys fought for three rounds and threw the rulebook completely out of the window.

They stood in the pocket, blasting each other with huge shots. Both guys looked like they could have been finished at any stage. Their faces were completely unrecognizable after the fight. Both guys landed huge shorts. Both guys took huge shots.

Tae Kyun Kim came away with the decision, but if anything, Nurzhan Akishev enhanced his reputation in a loss which is very, very rare in MMA. Tae Kyun Kim solidified his position as one of the best featherweights in the world and really staked his claim for a title shot.

Fights to be made in 2022

Sam Patterson has to fight for the title categorically. He has to fight for the title. If you look at his body of work in Brave Combat Federation, not just this year, but as a whole, that young man has grown into one of the Premiere lightweights in the world with his performances as last fight against [Kamil] Magomedov finished him with a high elbow guillotine was absolutely huge.

Before that, beating a 25 fight veteran in Yiles Djiroun beating him over the course of three rounds. I’ve said in commentary multiple times. He has made himself undeniable as a bona fide contender in the lightweight division. So that’s a fight I would love to see—also, the rematch in the light heavyweight division, Mohammad Fakhreddine versus Mohamed Said Maalem. That’s a fight that has to happen.

Said Maalem believes that he should never have had the belt taken off him, and the decision should never have been changed to a No Contest. So there’s genuine animosity between these guys, and both these guys are fantastic fighters in their own right.

So that is another huge fight that we’ll hopefully see in 2020—keeping with Mohammed Fakhreddine. He is the middleweight champion. But waiting in the wings is Ikram Aliskerov. His only loss in his professional career is to Khamzat Chimaev, and since losing Khamzat Chimaev. He has gone three and o three finishes. He is an absolute wrecking ball of fury in the middleweight division. He there’s very little else he can do to strengthen his claim to be the No.1 contender in the middleweight division.

So potentially a very, very busy year for Muhammad Fakhreddin.

Carlos “The Roaring Lion” Kremer – BRAVE CF In-Ring Announcer

Fight of the Year

Ares Tae Kyun Kim vs. [Nurzhan] Akishev. This fight brought back memories of Forest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonner. Pure skill, heart, and soul.

Fights to be made in 2022

The fight I’d most like to see is the rematch between Sam Patterson against Brave Lightweight Champion Ahmed Amir, Egypt’s first Combat Sports Champion.

Kirik Jenness – BRAVE CF commentator

Fight of the Year

It was Wednesday, September 17, 2020, the Year of the Pandemic, in Kombat Kingdom, the magnificent Kingdom of Bahrain. I was helping out at the faceoffs for BRAVE CF 41; the second fight on the card was Abdulmanap Magomedov from Russia vs. Rahmatullah Yousufzai from Afghanistan.

I know Abdulmanap means something like Servant of Allah, and I know Magomedov is a popular name in Russia. There’s rules in MMA, and one of them is, if a fighter has an Arab-sounding first name and a Russian-sounding last name … he will win. I’m kidding kinda, kinda not. But Abdulmanap Magomedov was a former IMMAF WORLD CHAMPION making his pro debut. In sum, this man is a stepping razor.

Facung him was the unherladed Rahmatullah Yousufzai. BRAVE Combat Federation provides opportunities for some of the most storied fighters coming out of the amateur ranks, like Magomedov. It also provides opportunities for fighters from areas with precious little support for the sport, like Afghanistan. And BRAVE has the best scouting team in the sport. So I knew Yousufzai had to have talent, but still, he was a mid-card fighter from events I had never heard of, and I’m the sport’s official records keeper. In my mind, I thought Yousufzai faced enormously long odds. Not like Burj Khalifa long, like Great Wall of China long.

But when I saw Yousufzai stare into Magomedov’s eyes at the faceoffs, I realized he knew something I did not. The next day, fight day, Yousufzai was called into the BRAVE cage, and before entering, he prayed so fervently to his creator that I was overcome with emotion, felt honored to be witnessing what was about to happen, come what may.

Rahmatullah Yousufzai knocked out Abdulmanap Magomedov in 42 seconds. In that moment, I felt the vision of Shaikh Khalid like never before. BRAVE identified an unknown talent from a region where the sport is entirely on its own, gave him an opportunity, and, man; he took it. He took it.

Fights to be made in 2022

I love the easy questions! I want to see Mohammad “The Latest” Fakhreddine fight in 2022. What weight division? I don’t care. Versus who? don’t care. Where? Don’t care. I just want to see The Baddest Mo Fakhro in MMA step into the BRAVE cage soon.

What were your favorite BRAVE CF moments of 2021?