Exclusive: Roman Bogatov Talks BRAVE CF Debut

Russia’s Roman Bogatov made headlines in 2020 but not the kind he and his team were after. The 30-year-old arrived in the UFC with an unblemished record and a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense grappler. However, his debut at UFC 251 saw Bogatov fall to Leonardo Santos via unanimous decision, chalk up multiple illegal strikes, […]

Russia’s Roman Bogatov made headlines in 2020 but not the kind he and his team were after. The 30-year-old arrived in the UFC with an unblemished record and a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense grappler.

However, his debut at UFC 251 saw Bogatov fall to Leonardo Santos via unanimous decision, chalk up multiple illegal strikes, and get released from the UFC. Now, with a new promotion behind him and a new opponent to conquer, Bogatov is looking to show the world exactly what he is capable of inside the cage.

BRAVE CF returns on Saturday (January 16), with BRAVE CF 46 taking place in Sochi. It will be the first time BRAVE has held an event in Russia. Headlining the show is a super lightweight title bout between defending champion Eldar Eldarov and Brazil’s Leonardo Mafra.

After recently signing with BRAVE CF, it seems only right that Bogatov makes his promotional debut on home soil. The Russian fighter will take on Kazakhstan’s Nurzhan Akishev in a catchweight bout on the main card of BRAVE CF 46. After the disappointment of 2020, Bogatov is counting down the days until he can get his hands on Akishev.

“I learned a lot from my last fight. It was a big push for me,” he said, speaking to LowkickMMA.

” I don’t think I am different from my opponent. He also loves to fight. The fighter who will be more cunning in battle will win. Many fighters from Kazakhstan have character and will fight until the end. “

Since its arrival on the MMA scene in 2016, BRAVE CF has held events in 20 different nations, earning itself a reputation as one of the sports most global promotions. Its success has not gone unnoticed by one of its newest recruits.

“I came to sign with BRAVE CF by accident. At first, I was offered a fight on short notice, but I wasn’t quite ready. Then they offered me a contract on good terms, and I accepted, ” Bogatov said.

” I really like this promotion, BRAVE Combat Federation. It holds tournaments in almost all the continents of the world. Many fighters are now striving for this promotion. “

Bogatov’s aim now is stay healthy, keep active and earn himself a title. If all goes to plan it will be a busy year for the man from Orenburg.

“I want to return to fights and I want to become a champion. I hope for 3-4 fights in 2021.”

Hopefully MMA fans will get to see the very best of Bogatov in 2022. BRAVE CF 46 takes place this Saturday and can be watched by USA fans on FiteTV.

Will you be watching the action?

BRAVE CF Announce Full Card For Russian Debut

BRAVE CF will touch down in Russia on Saturday, January 16, when it holds BRAVE CF 46 in Sochi. Since its inception in 2016, the Bahrain based promotion has held events in 20 countries, with Russia set to become the 21st country in which BRAVE CF has planted its flag. Headlining BRAVE CF 46 is […]

BRAVE CF will touch down in Russia on Saturday, January 16, when it holds BRAVE CF 46 in Sochi. Since its inception in 2016, the Bahrain based promotion has held events in 20 countries, with Russia set to become the 21st country in which BRAVE CF has planted its flag.

Headlining BRAVE CF 46 is a super lightweight title bout. Eldar Eldarov will defend his crown for the first time when he takes on Brazil’s Leonardo Mafra. Eldarov captured the title at BRAVE CF 23 with a dominant win over Mounir Lazzez. 

The only loss of the 29-year-old Russian’s career came at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov back in 2009. Since then, he has gone on an eleven fight winning streak and has been one of BRAVE’s most consistent performers. Mafra is a 4-fight UFC vet who has also fought under the Pancrase banner, his most recent outing was a unanimous decision win over Djamil Chan at BRAVE CF 25.

The co-main event of the card sees the promotional debut of high-touted Russian sambo champion Ali Bagautinov. The 35-year-old is a veteran of the flyweight scene, having fought the likes of Kyoji Horiguchi and Demetrious Johnson; he also holds a win over John Lineker. Bagautinov returns to MMA after dipping his toes into boxing. He will face-off against the 24-year-old Oleg Lichkovakha, who will also be making his first appearance under the BRAVE CF banner.

The 9-bout card will also feature the return of Murtaza Talha. The two-time IMMAF world champion made his successful entry into the pro ranks with a second-round submission win over Vadim Litvin at BRAVE CF 45. The KHK MMA has a lot of hype around him, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in his second pro outing.

Below is the full lineup for BRAVE CF 46.

  • Super Lightweight: Eldar Eldarov (12-1) vs Leonardo Mafra (15-5)
  • Catchweight (59,5kg): Ali Bagautinov (18-7) vs Oleg Lichkovakha (15-4-0, 2 NC)
  • Catchweight (67 kg): Roman Bogatov (10-1) vs Nurzhan Akishev (11-1)
  • Heavyweight: Konstantin Erokhin (9-4) vs Zhyrgalbek Chomonov (8-1)
  • Catchweight (71kg): Abdisalam Kubanychbek (16-3) vs Jahongir Saidjamolov (14-4)
  • Middleweight: Gamzat Khiramagomedov (9-1) vs Rustam Chsiev (3-2)
  • Catchweight (68 kg): Magomed Absudalamov (6-0) vs Andrey Lezhnev (19-9)
  • Catchweight (90 kg): Murtaza Talha (1-0) vs Dmitriy Krivulets (3-1)
  • Lightweight: Murad Bilarov (3-1) vs Fedor Babich (4-4)

BRAVE CF To Host Debut Russian Event in 2021

BRAVE CF announced today that Russia would become the 21st country to host a BRAVE CF event. The Bahrain-based promotion will hold its first show in Russia on January 16 in the city of Sochi. The company has yet to confirm which fighters will be competing for on the card, but names will be forthcoming […]

BRAVE CF announced today that Russia would become the 21st country to host a BRAVE CF event. The Bahrain-based promotion will hold its first show in Russia on January 16 in the city of Sochi.

The company has yet to confirm which fighters will be competing for on the card, but names will be forthcoming shortly. The promotion boots a deep pool of talent from Russia, including Ikram Aliskerov, Velimurad Alkhasov, and rising star Kasum Kasumov.

The event will be held in collaboration with Krepost Selection. This continues the tradition that BRAVE CF has created of working with local partners.

BRAVE CF is not yet as well known as some of its peers in the MMA landscape. However the promotion has developed an exciting roster of fighters. Founded in 2016, the company has staged events in South America, North America, the Indian Subcontinent, Central Asia, Europe, South-East Asia, and Africa. The move into Russia is the logical next step for one of the sports fastest-growing promotions.

The promotion is back in action this week with BRAVE CF 45 is due to take place on Nov 12 in the Gulf State of Bahrain.

What are your thoughts on BRAVE CF’s latest move?

BRAVE CF 44: Full Results: Amin Ayoub Captures Lightweight Crown

BRAVE CF crowned a new lightweight champion today (Thursday, Nov 5) after Amin Ayoub dethroned Cleiton Silva in the main event of BRAVE CF 44. Coming into this bout, Silva was looking to break the curse of the BRAVE lightweight strap by becoming the first lightweight champion to defend the title after claiming it.  However, […]

BRAVE CF crowned a new lightweight champion today (Thursday, Nov 5) after Amin Ayoub dethroned Cleiton Silva in the main event of BRAVE CF 44.

Coming into this bout, Silva was looking to break the curse of the BRAVE lightweight strap by becoming the first lightweight champion to defend the title after claiming it. 

However, right from the opening round, Ayoub took control of the contest. The French-Tunisian’s grappling almost netted him a submission victory in the opening stanza, but Silva was able to see the round out.

Ayoub continued to gain the upper hand as the contest continued and almost won the fight in the third after delivering a series of brutal shots right before the bell sounded. He then finished what he started in the fourth, stopping Silva with little trouble to capture the lightweight strap.

In the co-main event, France’s Abdoul Abdouraguimov put on a wrestling clinic, submitting Louis Glismann with ease with less than three minutes gone on the clock. The former welterweight champion made a strong case that he deserves his trilogy bout the divisions’ reigning king Jarrah Al Silawi.

The two men hold a win apiece, with both previous bouts being title fights. A third meeting between the pair now looks to be on the cards.

Former UFC fighter Rolando Dy racked up his second straight win under the BRAVE banner after outpointing John Brewin in their lightweight matchup.

Here are the full results from today’s event.

  • Lightweight Championship: Amin Ayoub def. Cleiton Silva via RD 4 KO
  • Welterweight: – Abdoul Abdouraguimov def. Louis Glismann via RD1 Submission (arm-triangle choke)
  • Lightweight: Rolando Dy def. John Brewin via Unanimous Decision 
  • Middleweight: Mzwandile Hlongwa def. Dom Schober via RD2 TKO (Doctor Stoppage)
  • Bantamweight: Bair Stehpin def. Gerson Pereira via RD1 TKO
  • Lightweight: Yann Liasse def. Abbas Khan via RD1 TKO
  • Amateur Catchweight: Mohammed Sameer def. Toni Bourached via Split Decision
  • Amateur Flyweight: Mohammed Salah Almuamari def. Mohammad Tawfeeq Almherat via Unanimous Decision

VIDEO | John Brewin Predicts New Wave Of NZ Talent ‘It’s Silly How Deep The Talent Pool Is’

BRAVE CF 44 goes down this Thursday in the Gulf State of Bahrain with the lightweight title bout between Brazil’s Cleiton “Predator’ Silva and France’s Amin Ayoub headlining the event. The eight-bout card also features a pivotal lightweight clash between New Zealand’s John Brewin and the Philippines’ Ronaldo Dy. The winner of this clash will […]

BRAVE CF 44 goes down this Thursday in the Gulf State of Bahrain with the lightweight title bout between Brazil’s Cleiton “Predator’ Silva and France’s Amin Ayoub headlining the event.

The eight-bout card also features a pivotal lightweight clash between New Zealand’s John Brewin and the Philippines’ Ronaldo Dy. The winner of this clash will be knocking on the door of a title shot.

Lowkick MMA spoke to Brewin ahead of his pivotal clash. After living and training in Bali for the past few years, the 26-year-old moved to New Zealand earlier this year and began training at City Kickboxing.

Brewin was initially set to fight England’s Sam Patterson back in April. However, Covid-19 put a halt to that fight. Thankfully, Brewin was able to make good use of his time, despite the disappointment of the fight being canceled.

“If I had of fought really actively, I wouldn’t have been able to soak in some of these lessons because I wouldn’t have taken the time to slow down and integrate some of the different systems they put in place,” Brewin said.

“It’s been such a blessing in disguise. All these fights falling through, and the mental challenges that come with that is good as well.”

Brewin is currently the only New Zealand fighter signed with BRAVE CF, but he is confident that given the opportunity, MMA fans can expect to see more world-class talents coming out of the Auckland gym.

“It’s silly how deep the talent pool is, in every weight class. We are not like one of those gyms that has a whole bunch of 125ers and 135ers. We’ve got em stacked from those bottom weight classes all the way to heavyweight,” Brewin commented.

“New Zealand, 100 percent we are the land of the heavyweights and light heavies. If you want those guys, come to us, middleweights, welterweights, lightweights, we have at least five world-class guys in every single division ready to go right now.

“This is not meant with any disrespect, but we’ve got guys that will take every single belt in this organization. If we’ve got the chance, we take every single one.”

If Brewin can get the job done on Friday, he will be riding a three fight winning streak. He will then likely be next in line for a shot at the BRAVE lightweight strap.

Check out the full interview below.

BRAVE CF 43 Results: Jarrah Al-Silawi Earns Decision Win Over Melvin van Suijdam

BRAVE CF 43 went down today ( Thur. October 1) with the seven-fight card taking place in the Gulf State of Bahrain. In the main event, BRAVE CF welterweight champion Jarrah Al-Silawi moved up a division for a middleweight clash with Holland’s Melvin van Suijdam. Al-Silawi, controlled the fight for the majority of the contest, […]

BRAVE CF 43 went down today ( Thur. October 1) with the seven-fight card taking place in the Gulf State of Bahrain.

In the main event, BRAVE CF welterweight champion Jarrah Al-Silawi moved up a division for a middleweight clash with Holland’s Melvin van Suijdam. Al-Silawi, controlled the fight for the majority of the contest, after feeling out van Suijdam in the bouts opening moments. The Jordanian fighter picked apart his opponent before showing off his grappling abilities in the final round, going on to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Al-Silawi will now look at defending his welterweight title or taking on Mohammad Fakhreddine, the current middleweight champ. The pair have fought twice before with each man holding a win apiece.

“It was a huge responsibility being the champion and coming here but I’m really confident in my skills and my preparation and I’m happy that I was able to come here and get this win,” Al-Silawi said, following the contest.

“I’m not sure what’s going to next, I’m probably getting back to Welterweight and defend my title, but I’d be happy to return here to Middleweight and see what happens, maybe even fight for the title.”

Rising star Muhammad Mokaev maintained his perfect start to his professional MMA career , moving to 3-0 with a third-round submission win over the UK’s Jamie Kelly. The two-time IMMAF World Champion started fast and showcased his stand up ability in the opening two rounds. The 20-year-old dropped Kelly in the final minute of the opening stanza and started the second with a pair of spinning back elbows, Kelly by this stage, was bleeding heavily from his nose. 

The 21-year-old Kelly never stopped coming forward searching for a shot to change the fight, but Mokaev was too slick and too fast to be caught by anything Kelly was throwing. After taking Kelly down and locking in a rear-naked choke, the Dagestan-born fighter wrapped up the bout in the third. 

“I respect Kelly a lot, we come from the same city, we have similar fanbases, and I know he’s good and respectful,” Mokaev said in his post-fight interview.

 “It’s the first time for me, fighting here in Bahrain as a professional, despite having fought here 9 times as an amateur. I feel like Bahrain is my second home. ” 

Full Results:

  • Middleweight: Jarrah Al-Silawi def. Melvin van Suijdam via Unanimous Decision
  • Bantamweight: Kasninem Kasumov def. Dimitar Kostov via RD1 Submission (arm-triangle choke)
  • Lightweight: Akhmed Shervaniev def. Arman Popal via RD2 TKO 
  • Catchweight (59 kg): Muhammad Mokaev def. Jamie Kelly via Submission (rear-naked choke)
  • Featherweight: Anzor Abdulkhozhaev def. Soheil Davoodi via Unanimous Decision
  • Catchweight (67 kg): Tae Kyun Kim def. Arturo Chavez via RD2 TKO (corner stoppage)
  • Featherweight:  Mehmosh Raza def. Calum Murrie via Split Decision