BRAVE CF 57 Full Results: Brad Katona Captures Gold & Mohammad Fakhreddine Makes History

It was a history-making night at BRAVE CF 57, which took place in front of a packed-out Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, Bahrain. Mohammad Fakhreddine confirmed his status as one of the legends of MMA in the Middle East, while Canadian Brad Katona stunned the hometown fans by edging past Hamza Kooheji in […]

Katona picked up his first world title by defeating Kooheji via split decision to claim the vacant BRAVE CF bantamweight strap. It was a result that could have gone either way and is likely to ignite passionate debate amongst the BRAVE CF fanbase.

The contest was a closely fought affair, with both men keeping their cards tight to their chest as they looked to break their opponent down. Kooheji started well, controlling the center and not giving Katona much to work with, as the Canadian sought to break down Kooheji’s defenses.

Both men had their moments both on the ground and on the feet throughout the bout, and Katona’s grappling became more influential as the rounds ticked over. The final scorecards all read 48-47, with two judges giving it in favor of Katona and one Kooheji.

Mohammad Fakhreddine Makes History

In the co-main event, Mohammad Fakhreddine defeated bitter rival Mohamed Said Maalem in their light heavyweight clash to become the first two-division champion in BRAVE CF’s history.

The Lebanese fighter, who also holds the promotions middleweight strap, had to weather an early storm in the opening minutes. Said Maalem came out firing and soon had Fakhreddine in trouble. It looked like the Algerian was only moments away from capturing his first BRAVE Cf title after he landed several heavy knees when he had Fakhreddine pinned against the cage.

However, Fakhreddine was able to make space and landed a strike to the nose of Said Maalem, which halted him in his tracks. Fakhreddine then regrouped and began mounting an offensive campaign against a rapidly fatiguing Said Maalem. Finally, with only seconds left in the round, Fakhreddine sent his opponent to the ground and went looking for the finish before Said Maalem was saved by the bell.

It was only a brief reprieve for the Algerian fighter as Fakhreddine resumed control of the bout at the start of the second and soon sent his opponent to the canvas with a brutal left hook. The referee called the fight off after Said Maalem had no answer to Fakhreddine’s ground and pound assault.

The opening title fight of the night saw Kyrgyzstan’s Abdisalam Kubanychbek and former BRAVE CF lightweight champion Cleiton Silva facing off in an interim lightweight title bout following an injury to the current champion Ahmed Amir.

Kubanychbek started strong and quickly dominated the contest with his impressive grappling before the referee paused proceedings after determining that Kubanychbek had landed several illegal blows to the back of Silva’s head when he was in back mount position.

Silva was then unable to continue and the bout was called a No Contest. From the way that Kubanychbek was controlling the bout it may be that he faces Amir once the champion is back from injury.

However, the top of the lightweight title picture plays out; England’s Sam Patterson will likely soon be challenging for the title after scoring his fifth straight victory with a second stoppage victory over Khunkar-Pasha Osmaev. The Walford native delivered a showcase performance using his height and reach advantage to establish control of the matchup in the opening frame, with his crisp jab keeping Osmaev at bay.

In the second round, the man dubbed “The Future” picked up the pace and started landing heavier shots before unleashing a barrage of strikes mid-way through the round, which forced the referee to step in and wave the fight off.

Full Results

Main Card

Bantamweight title fight: Hamza Kooheji vs. Brad Katona
Light Heavyweight title fight: Mohammad Fakhreddine def. Mohamed Said Maalem via RD 2 TKO
Lightweight interim title fight: Abdisalam Uulu Kubanychbek Cleiton Silva – No Contest (Accidental Blows To Back Of Head)
Lightweight: Sam Patterson def. Khunkar-Pasha Osmaev via RD2 TKO
Lightweight: Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Agshin Babaev – No Contest (Accidental Low Blow)

Preliminary Card

Flyweight: Asu Almabaev def. Imram Magaramov via Unanimous Decision
Lightweight: Kamil Magomedov def. Sayed Murtaza Sadat via RD1 Submission
Light Heavyweight: Murtaza Talha def. Mikheil Sazhiniani via RD1 Submission
Bantamweight: Maysara Mohamed def. Mohamed Farhad via RD2 TKO
Bantamweight: Magomed Idrisov def. Rahmatullah Yousufzai via Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight: Abdullah Al Yaqoob def. Omar Emad via Technical Decision
Amateur Lightweight: Hussain Muhammad def. Adon Ayoub via Unanimous Decision

MMA Super Cup Day 2 Full Results: Bahrain & Ireland Set To Meet In Final

Day 2 of the MMA Super Cup saw Ireland taking on Mexico in the first semi-final, with Kazakhstan and Bahrain facing off in the second. Mexico came into this event as a late-notice replacement but impressed everyone with a clean sweep over the Arab Champions in the quarter-finals. Ireland worked hard for their win over […]

Day 2 of the MMA Super Cup saw Ireland taking on Mexico in the first semi-final, with Kazakhstan and Bahrain facing off in the second.

Mexico came into this event as a late-notice replacement but impressed everyone with a clean sweep over the Arab Champions in the quarter-finals. Ireland worked hard for their win over Oceania, with the best of nine series going down the wire before heavyweight Gustavo Lopez secured victory for the Irish team.

The Mexican team started strong and shot out to a 3-1 lead before the Irish team stormed back to record four straight wins and book their spot in the final with a 5-3 series win. Donegal’s Jordan Furey backed up his quarter-final first-round stoppage victory over Oceania’s Mitchell Kelly with another impressive performance as he stopped Mexico’s Israel Salcido Rodriguez via TKO in the second frame of their welterweight contest.

Ireland will now have to take on Bahrain in the final on Saturday after the Bahrani handed rivals Kazakhstan a 5-3 loss. The home team started out strong with Aieza Ramos Bertozo and Sabrina Laurentina de Souza scoring back-to-back submission wins. Kazakhstan then stormed back, recording three straight victories (one being a forfeit) to take a 3-2 lead.However, the home nation would not be denied. Welterweight world champion Ramazan Gitinov started the resurgence with his opening-round submission win over Zhaxybek Aimakhanov before his compatriots Sultan Omarov and Gadzhi Gadzhiev picked up the fourth and fifth wins.

One of the exciting subplots of the gold-medal final will be to see how Furey goes up against the formidable and intimidating figure of Gitinov. The winner of the tournament will collect USD100,00 while the runners will take home 75,000.

Mexico and Kazakhstan will battle it out for the right to claim the bronze medal and $50,000

All the action can be streamed live on immaf.tv

Full Results:
MEXICO VS IRELAND

56.7 kg Violeta Mendoza Corral (Mexico) def. Eabha Cruise (Ireland) – UD R3
61,2 kg Kerry Ann Vernon (Ireland) def. Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar (Mexico) – TKO R1
61,2 kg Jorge Cobos Marin (Mexico) def. Jamie Abbott Bissett (Ireland) – TKO R3
65,8 kg Victor Gerardo Quintana Vazquez (Mexico) def. Jordan Bradshaw (Ireland) – UD R3
70,3 kg Lewis Byrne (Ireland) def. Luis Enrique Gonzalez Martinez (Mexico) – UD R3
77,1 kg Jordan Furey (Ireland) def. Israel Salcido Rodriguez (Mexico) – TKO R2
83,9 kg Conor McCarthy (Ireland) def. Cruz Emmanuel Garcia Gonzalez (Mexico) – UD R3
93 kg Dennis Perry (Ireland) def. Miguel Angel Serna Castro (Mexico) – Sub (Americana) R1

BAHRAIN VS KAZAKHSTAN

56,7 kg Aieza Ramos Bertozo (Bahrain) def. Ayan Tursyn (Kazakhstan) – Sub (Armbar) R1
61,2 kg Sabrina Laurentina de Souza (Bahrain) def. Antonina Kotlyarevskaya (Kazakhstan) – Sub
(Armbar) R1

61,2 kg Zhanibek Tynyshtyk (Kazakhstan) def. Abdulla Mubarak (Bahrain) – Forfeit
65,8 kg Anatoliy Zolotykh (Kazakhstan) def. Haji Mohamed Ali (Bahrain) – Technical Submission
(Triangle) R1
70,3 kg Neimat Assadov (Kazakhstan) def. Kurban Idrisov (Bahrain) – SD R3
77,1 kg Ramazan Gitinov (Bahrain) def. Zhaxybek Aimakhanov (Kazakhstan) – Sub (Rear-Naked
Choke) R1
83,9 kg Sultan Omarov (Bahrain) def. Vakhid Timerbiyev (Kazakhstan) – UD R3
93 kg Gadzhi Gadzhiev (Bahrain) def. Alik Domnich (Kazakhstan)

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?

MMA Super Cup Day 1 Full Results : Ireland And Oceania In Nail Biting Finish

The inaugural MMA Super Cup kicked off today with eight amateur teams competing in a knockout tournament for the right to claim the trophy as well as US$100,000 in prize money. The tournament is taking place as part of BRAVE International Fight Week and is being held inside the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa […]

Teams compete in a best of nine series and require five wins to advance to the next round. Bouts consist of three, three-minute rounds, with an extra round in the event of a draw.

The opening day saw Ireland taking on Oceania, Mexico facing off against the Arab Champions, Kazakhstan vs. Balkan Champions, and Bahrain vs. Tajikistan. Oceania and Mexico were last-minute replacements for Ukraine and Russia, but you would not have known that from the performances both sides produced.

The Oceanian team, made up of Australian and New Zealand fighters, went head to head with their Irish counterparts as they traded wins. Each side sat at four apiece heading into the final bout, a 120kg contest between Ireland’s Gustavo Lopez and Oceania’s Larry Adnan.

Adnan started strong and soon had Lopez in all sorts of trouble, as the Irish fighter found himself stuck on the mat and receiving a barrage of blows from Adnan. A stoppage looked to be on the cards when in the final ten seconds of the bout, Lopez took advantage of a mistake from Adnan and secured a kneebar which forced Adnan to tap out.

Lopez’s victory will now see Ireland take on Mexico in the semi-finals, with the Central American nation making short work of the Arab Champions. The Mexican team won the first five fights in a row and will be confident they have what it takes to make it to the final.

Team Kazakhstan demonstrated its superiority over the Balkan Champions with a 5-0 clean sweep on the other side of the bracket. They will now meet Bahrain in a massive clash between two of the top amateur nations in the world, with Bahrain and Kazakhstan ranked two and three, respectively.

Bahrain had a tough first outing against Tajikistan. Still, a team that includes such names as world pound for pound No.1 Ramazan Gitinov and will always be a challenging assignment for any opposition, and Bahrain ended up taking the matchup 7-2.

You can follow all the semi-final action at immaf.tv.