Tag: BRAVE Combat Federation

Mohammed Fakhreddine And Mohamed Said Maalem’s Title Clash At BRAVE CF 52 Ruled No Contest

The rivalry between BRAVE CF’s Mohamed Said Maalem and Mohammed Fakhreddine looks set to continue following the announcement that their clash at BRAVE CF 52 (August 1) in Milan, Italy, has been ruled a No Contest. The pair faced off in the main event of BRAVE’s first-ever Italian show for the vacant Light Heavyweight strap, […]

The rivalry between BRAVE CF’s Mohamed Said Maalem and Mohammed Fakhreddine looks set to continue following the announcement that their clash at BRAVE CF 52 (August 1) in Milan, Italy, has been ruled a No Contest.

The pair faced off in the main event of BRAVE’s first-ever Italian show for the vacant Light Heavyweight strap, with Said Maalem earning himself a first-round TKO win.

In a post-interview with Break Your Face, Fakhreddine, BRAVE’s reigning middleweight king, referred to what he deemed were illegal shots.

“I’m going to appeal the fight result, and I believe it will be ruled as a no contest. There were a couple of big shots to the back of the head. We’ll definitely run it back. That belt will be mine.”

The Italian Federation of Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts have agreed with him after investigating the appeal that was logged by Fakhreddine’s management on August 15.

“Following a thorough investigation and analysis, the Italian Federation of Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts deemed that the illegal strikes to the back of the head by Mohamed Said Maalem in the final sequence of the fight contributed to the stoppage of the match,” the FIGMMA said in their official statement.

Today’s news opens the door for a rematch between Fakhreddine and Said Maalem. The pair went back and forth on social media in the build-up to BRAVE CF 52, with ever-increasing hostility. The bout was billed as the most anticipated in BRAVE CF’s history, and a rematch between the two seems likely.

What do you make of this news?

TUF 27 Winner Brad Katona Set For Pivotal Clash At BRAVE CF 53

Photo credit: BRAVE CF Canada’s Brad “Superman” Katona got his BRAVE CF tenure off to a flying start when he scored a third-round submission victory over the undefeated Borislav Nikolic at BRAVE CF 50. Now the 29-year-old is looking to book himself a shot at the vacant BRAVE CF Bantamweight Championship with a win over […]

Photo credit: BRAVE CF

Canada’s Brad “Superman” Katona got his BRAVE CF tenure off to a flying start when he scored a third-round submission victory over the undefeated Borislav Nikolic at BRAVE CF 50.

Now the 29-year-old is looking to book himself a shot at the vacant BRAVE CF Bantamweight Championship with a win over Russia’s Bair Shtepin at BRAVE CF 53. The bout will go down on Saturday, August 21, in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The winner is likely to face off against the highly-regarded Dagestani, Gamzat Magomedov in a title bout, and Katona knows that this weekend, his professional fate is literally in his own hands.

“I won’t be surprised if he (Magomedov) fights for the title. There are many great bantamweights [in BRAVE CF] right now. We’ll see whatever the fans decide on. We’ll see whatever BRAVE CF decides on,”Katona said.

“One thing I have control over is making sure that I am undeniable and I am fighting for the title against anyone. That’s in my control, and that’s what I am focusing on.”

Katona rose to fame after winning The Ultimate Fighter 27 back in 2018. He followed that accomplishment up with a win at UFC 231, where he defeated Matthew Lopez. However, a pair of losses saw him part ways with the UFC. The SBG fighter’s sole focus is now on capturing BRAVE CF gold.

“For me, it’s a big fight. This fight will bring me closer to the title. He’s an experienced and strong fighter. If I defeat my opponent, I will rise in the world rankings. I hope they’ll give me a title fight afterward,” Katona said in the lead-up to his bout with Shtepin.

“I am faster than him[Shtepin]. My speed will be my advantage over him come fight night. I don’t think he will be able to handle that.”

How do you see this fight going down?

Exclusive: Tae Kyun Kim Targets Title Shot With Win At BRAVE CF 53

South Korea’s Tae Kyun Kim knows he is within touching distance of a shot at the vacant BRAVE CF featherweight title. The 26-year-old returns to the cage this weekend at BRAVE CF 53, which takes place Sat. August 21 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Standing opposite the undefeated Korean will be hometown hero Nurzhan Akishev, with the […]

South Korea’s Tae Kyun Kim knows he is within touching distance of a shot at the vacant BRAVE CF featherweight title. The 26-year-old returns to the cage this weekend at BRAVE CF 53, which takes place Sat. August 21 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Standing opposite the undefeated Korean will be hometown hero Nurzhan Akishev, with the pair’s bout set to be the headline act of the seven-fight card.

“I was happy to hear that I was the main event of BRAVE CF 53, but at the same time, I got nervous and worried. However, as it is the main event, I will show my best performance in the cage,” Kim said, speaking to LowkickMMA.

“I think Akishev is a very tough fighter. I looked up a lot of his previous fights and had plenty of time to research, so I did a lot of opponent analysis, but I also worked hard on my training.”

Kim arrived at the Middle East promotion at the tail end of 2019 and started his BRAVE CF account with a unanimous decision win over Brazil’s Erick da Silva at BRAVE CF 29. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, recording back-to-back TKO victories at BRAVE CF 47 and CF 53. His most recent win took his professional record to 8-0, and the former South Korean national judo champion believes one more victory will lead to a title shot.

“Of course, I think I should have a title fight. When I get another win, my record will be nine wins and no loss,” Kim said, talking about a possible championship bout.

If Kim could secure a BRAVE CF belt, he would become the first South Korean to do so. The promotion is considering a move into the Asian nation, and a local champion could help with the company’s push into the country.

” I think within the next five years, major overseas organizations will enter the Korean market and establish exchanges with domestic competitions. And I want to fight as the main event in the Korean competition,” Kim explained.

Kim is bracing himself for war after Akishev made it known that he is looking for a stoppage coming into this fight. The 27-year-old lost his promotional debut in January to Russia’s Roman Bogatov, and is desperate to return to the winner’s circle.

“I’m sure this fight will be spectacular,” Akishev said.

“We both leave it all inside the cage and love to make a fire show while striking. But don’t get me wrong, I’m more than ready for the ground game, too,” he added.

“Kim’s main weapon is stamina; he will try to strike in this fight. But I assure you that I will stop his pressure. All Kazakhstan will be cheering for me, and I am coming for victory”, he said.

However it goes down in Almaty this weekend, when the dust finally settles one fighter will be that much closer to having a title strapped around their waist.

BRAVE’s Mohammad Fakhreddine Wants Mohamed Said Maalem Rematch ‘I’m Going To Appeal The Fight Result’

BRAVE CF’s Mohammad Fakhreddine may have lost the battle on the weekend, but for the 36-year-old, his war with rival Mohamed Said Maalem is far from over. The Lebanese fighter is calling for a rematch after taking to social media stating he was struck with a series of illegal shots to the back of the […]

BRAVE CF’s Mohammad Fakhreddine may have lost the battle on the weekend, but for the 36-year-old, his war with rival Mohamed Said Maalem is far from over. The Lebanese fighter is calling for a rematch after taking to social media stating he was struck with a series of illegal shots to the back of the head.

The pair clashed for the vacant light heavyweight title last Sunday at BRAVE CF 53, with Said Maalem taking home the strap with a first-round TKO win. At the closing stage of the round, Said Maalem landed a soild left hook that dropped Fakhreddine before following up with some heavy ground and pound shots, forcing the referee to step in and wave the contest off.

In the post-fight interview Fakhreddine congratulated his Algerian opponent but raised the issue of what he felt were illegal strikes. In a recent interview with Break Your Face, he called for the result to be overturned.

” I’m going to appeal the fight result, and I believe it will be ruled as a no contest. There were a couple of big shots to the back of the head. We’ll definitely run it back. That belt will be mine.”

The buildup to last weekend’s clash was a tense affair. The rivalry between the two began earlier this year when they were set to clash at BRAVE CF 50, how Fakhreddine was forced to withdraw from the clash after suffering a last-minute illness.

A frustrated Said Maalem then called for the title to be given to him, which saw the two engage in a heated online war of words. Sunday’s clash was meant to see the rivalry came to a close, but it looks like there may be a few twists and turns in it still to come.

Would you be keen to see these two square off in the cage again?

BRAVE’s Mohammad Fakhreddine Wants Mohamed Said Maalem Rematch ‘I’m Going To Appeal The Fight Result’

BRAVE CF’s Mohammad Fakhreddine may have lost the battle on the weekend, but for the 36-year-old, his war with rival Mohamed Said Maalem is far from over. The Lebanese fighter is calling for a rematch after taking to social media stating he was struck with a series of illegal shots to the back of the […]

BRAVE CF’s Mohammad Fakhreddine may have lost the battle on the weekend, but for the 36-year-old, his war with rival Mohamed Said Maalem is far from over. The Lebanese fighter is calling for a rematch after taking to social media stating he was struck with a series of illegal shots to the back of the head.

The pair clashed for the vacant light heavyweight title last Sunday at BRAVE CF 53, with Said Maalem taking home the strap with a first-round TKO win. At the closing stage of the round, Said Maalem landed a soild left hook that dropped Fakhreddine before following up with some heavy ground and pound shots, forcing the referee to step in and wave the contest off.

In the post-fight interview Fakhreddine congratulated his Algerian opponent but raised the issue of what he felt were illegal strikes. In a recent interview with Break Your Face, he called for the result to be overturned.

” I’m going to appeal the fight result, and I believe it will be ruled as a no contest. There were a couple of big shots to the back of the head. We’ll definitely run it back. That belt will be mine.”

The buildup to last weekend’s clash was a tense affair. The rivalry between the two began earlier this year when they were set to clash at BRAVE CF 50, how Fakhreddine was forced to withdraw from the clash after suffering a last-minute illness.

A frustrated Said Maalem then called for the title to be given to him, which saw the two engage in a heated online war of words. Sunday’s clash was meant to see the rivalry came to a close, but it looks like there may be a few twists and turns in it still to come.

Would you be keen to see these two square off in the cage again?

BRAVE CF 52: Mohamed Said Maalem Captures Light Heavyweight Strap

BRAVE CF has a new light heavyweight champion. Algeria’s Mohamed Said Maalem claimed the vacant strap after defeating his rival Mohammed Fakhreddine via first-round TKO. The pair’s bout headlined BRAVE CF’s entry into the Italian market, with BRAVE CF 52 taking place in Milan, Italy. The bout was billed as one of the most anticipated […]

BRAVE CF has a new light heavyweight champion. Algeria’s Mohamed Said Maalem claimed the vacant strap after defeating his rival Mohammed Fakhreddine via first-round TKO.

The pair’s bout headlined BRAVE CF’s entry into the Italian market, with BRAVE CF 52 taking place in Milan, Italy. The bout was billed as one of the most anticipated main events in the promotion’s history due to the tense nature of the build-up with both fighters, with heated comments flying back and forwards between the two.

Fakhreddine was looking to make history by becoming the promotion’s first champ-champ after he captured the middleweight strap last September.  

However, the Lebanese fighter found himself on the receiving end of a powerful left hook in the closing stages of the opening frame. Said Maalem capitalized on his success by following up with a vicious series of shots to seal the deal.

The newly-minted champion was gracious in victory and paid tribute to Fakhreddine in his post-fight interview.

“I have no issue with Fakhreddine at all. We are brothers before God, he’s a good man, and I like to think I am too. I respect him, his team, and his country of Lebanon. The only thing in my mind now is happiness, happiness for becoming the world champion”, he said.

Fakhreddine repaid the respect with respect of his own and also revealed that prior to the fight, a close friend of his had lost his life.

“I don’t mean it as an excuse but I just heard that a huge friend of mine got shot and killed, like 3 hours before the event. It was devastating. I was hit on the back of the head too a few times, the ref didn’t see it. But it is what it is. I want to congratulate Said Maalem for his world title”, Fakhreddine said.

The 36-year-old is one of the veterans of the Middle Eastern MMA scene, and his return to the middleweight division to his belt will no doubt be a major event when it does take place.

Said Maalem’s win was far from the only stoppage of the night. In fact, none of the seven fights on the card went the distance, making for an action-packed spectacle. 

One of the show’s highlights was Moldova’s Valeriu Mircea, with the ‘The Solitary Wolf’ bouncing back from his loss at BRAVE CF 50 to record a stunning first-round KO win over Austria’s Ayub Gaziev. Mircea needed less than a minute to level Gaziev, which he did with a clean straight right.

BRAVE CF now takes the show on the road to Almaty, Kazakhstan, with BRAVE CF 53 taking place on Sat. Aug 21.

Here are the full results from BRAVE CF 52

  • Light Heavyweight: Mohamed Said Maalem def. Mohammed Fakhreddine via TKO (strikes) at 4:27 of Round 1
  • Middleweight: Rustam Chsiev def. Enrico Cortese via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 1
  • Lightweight: Valeriu Mircea def. Ayub Gaziev via KO (punch) at 0:43 of Round 1
  • Bantamweight: Gamzat Magomedov def. Mochamed Machaev via KO at 0:54 of Round 1
  • Super Lightweight: Benoit Saint-Denis def. Arkaitz Ramos via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:09 of Round 1
  • Featherweight: Elias Boudegzdame def. Brice Picaud via submission (triangle choke) at 1:26 of Round 1
  • Super Lightweight: Ahmad Labban def. Virgiliu Frasineac Flag of Moldova via TKO (Strikes) at 1:09 of Round 2