| BRAVE Combat Federation | |
| Current Season: | 2024 in Brave Combat Federation |
| Founder: | Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
| President: | Mohammed Shahid |
| Headquarters: | Seef |
| Sport: | Mixed martial arts |
| Country: | Bahrain |
BRAVE Combat Federation is a[1] mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Bahrain. The organization was established on 23 September 2016 by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.[2] BRAVE Combat Federation features mixed martial artists from more than 80[3] nations located in five continents. BRAVE Combat Federation events are aired though multiple media partners including El Rey Network, Combate, Myx TV, S+A ESPN 5 and Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation. BRAVE Combat Federation produced six pay-per-view events apart from announcing events in Abu Dhabi and Brazil.[4] [5] In 2023, BRAVE Combat Federation set a new record for an MMA promotion hosting events in most number of nations after organizing events in 30 nations worldwide.[6]
The organization was formally launched in 2016 and has established operations in Dublin,[7] São Paulo and Mumbai[8] prior to launching events and for talent relations. BRAVE Combat Federation, alongside the holding company, KHK MMA and Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation hosted the IMMAF World Championships in November, 2017,[9] a partnership which was renewed for 2018 and 2019[10]
In July 2021, BRAVE Combat Federation was nominated for the first time as Promotion of the Year on the World MMA Awards.[11] The organization also has global strategic partnerships with fellow fight promoters Real Xtreme Fighting (RXF), LFC, RXF, WEF, WFC, BFN, Krespost, PRO FC, RSM, Golden Cage, Oktagon, GEC, Beast CF, ATF, NFC, Hexagone MMA, Fight2One, andVictorious Fighting and Entertainment.[12] [13] [14]
KHK MMA is a Bahrain based mixed martial arts organization which promotes the growth of mixed martial arts in the region. KHK MMA is also the holding company of BRAVE Combat Federation. KHK MMA was established by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.[15] Bahrain MMA is the official gym for KHK MMA.[16] KHK MMA launched operations of BRAVE Combat federation on July 27, 2016, and officially launched the promotion on 23 September 2016.[15] KHK MMA Fight Team features fighters from multiple promotions including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Frankie Edgar, Jose Torres[17] and James Gallagher.[18] Coaches and UFC Hall of Famers like Renzo Gracie, John Kavanagh, Bob Schirmer, and Pete Williams are also working with KHK MMA.[19]
After establishing KHK MMA as a rising force within the MMA world,[20] Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa started working towards introducing a global event.
BRAVE Combat Federation was officially launched during a press conference held in the Kingdom of Bahrain on July 27, 2016.[21] Less than two months later, took place in Isa Town, Bahrain, on September 23, 2016, a date which coincided with Sheikh Khalid's birthday.[22] BRAVE rounded up the first few months of its operations with, also taking place in Bahrain[23]
After capturing the attention of the MENA region, with two shows in Bahrain, BRAVE CF took the step to further develop the brand in other regions, as well as strengthening Bahraini sports' position in the international scene.[24] Brazil was chosen to be the first country to host a BRAVE event outside its homeland, with future Lightweight champions Lucas "Mineiro" Martins and Luan Santiago, as well as former Welterweight titleholder Carlston Harris among the fighters who made their promotional debuts at BRAVE 3: Battle in Brazil.[25] The fight card was also the first appearance of former UFC champion and KHK MMA fighter Frankie Edgar as a color commentator[26]
Continuing its trend of international fight nights, BRAVE Combat Federation made its debut in Abu Dhabi and crowned its first-ever world champion. French-Algerian submission specialist Elias Boudegzdame defeated Masio Fullen in the main event of and became the promotion's maiden Featherweight world champion.[27]
The show also witnessed the promotional debut of Middle East superstar Mohammad Fakhreddine, who was scheduled to headline before he suffered an injury.[28] "The Latest" faced off against Brazil's Vinicius Cruz and won by TKO in the second round.
After Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, BRAVE continued to travel around the world, as India, Kazakhstan, and Mexico were all treated to events between April and July.
took place in Mumbai, India, on April 22, and had an anticlimactic main event, as Carl Booth and Tahar Hadbi fought to a No Contest, due to a timekeeping error.[29]
happened a week later, in Almaty, where future Super Lightweight world champion Eldar Eldarov bested Brazilian Henrique Rasputin by TKO. It was also home to the first-ever BRAVE female fight, as Flyweight Mariya Agapova beat Yulia Litvinceva by TKO in the first round.[30]
Finally, BRAVE 7 took place in Mexico, and future world title challenger Alejandro "Pato" Martinez came out victorious in a grudge match against Fabian Quintanar.[31]
For BRAVE 8: The Rise of Champions, the promotion went back to Curitiba, Brazil, after its successful debut in March.[32] It was the first time BRAVE put two different titles on the line, with Welterweights Carl Booth and Mohammad Fakhreddine initially scheduled to face off, as well as Light Heavyweights Klidson Abreu and Timo Feucht.[33]
On the eve of weigh-ins, Fakhreddine was forced to pull out of the fight after feeling ill during the weight-cut process. He was substituted by Carlston Harris,[34] who ended up surprising Booth and winning the title by decision.
In the main event, Klidson Abreu bested Timo Feucht and became the first Brazilian champion for BRAVE [35]
For the year's last event, BRAVE decided to create the first-ever International Combat Week, in partnership with the IMMAF.[36] The agreement stated that the ICW would happen for, at least, the next three years,[37] with a BRAVE show closing out the Amateur World Championships.
BRAVE 9: The Kingdom of Champions also crowned two new titleholders, at Lightweight and Bantamweight.
Ottman Azaitar beat Alejandro "Pato" Martínez in the main event to capture the Lightweight belt, while Stephen Loman knocked out Gurdarshan Mangat to become the first-ever Bantamweight champion.[38]
Elias Boudegzdame was initially scheduled to defend his Featherweight title against Lucas "Mineiro" Martins, but the bout was called off after the challenger fell ill during the weight cut.[39]
MMA legend and BRAVE ambassador Wanderlei Silva attended the event, as well as Frankie Edgar, who served as the color commentator for the broadcast.[40]
After not being able to defend his belt at BRAVE 9, Elias "Smile" Boudegzdame was scheduled to take on Jakub Kowalewicz in the main event of BRAVE 10,[41] the first event of 2018, which also served as BRAVE's debut in Jordan.[42]
Boudegzdame made history in the main event of BRAVE 10, as he successfully defended his Featherweight title with a fourth-round submission of Kowalewicz, in a night marked by a clean sweep of Jordanian fighters.[43]
In March 2018, the promotion returned for its third event in Brazil, this time in Belo Horizonte, for another title doubleheader.[44] Lucas "Mineiro" Martins won the interim Lightweight belt in the main event, beating Luan "Miau" Santiago by TKO in the last seconds of their fight,[45] while Klidson Abreu successfully defended his Light Heavyweight throne by submitting Matt Baker,[46] who stood in for Kennedy Nzechukwu, forced to pull out due to injury.[47] In May, BRAVE continued to visit new destinations, this time traveling to Jakarta, Indonesia, for BRAVE 12: KHK Legacy.[48]
In the main event, Eldar Eldarov continued his winning streak by outpointing Brian Hooi in the scorecards, going 3-0 for BRAVE CF.[49]
BRAVE's maiden trip to Europe took place at The SSE Arena, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as the promotion organized BRAVE 13: Europe Evolution, on June 9, with 28 fighters from 15 nations in action.[50]
In the main event, Bantamweight champion Stephen Loman beat Frans Mlambo, a training partner of Conor McGregor, in a rematch of their 2016 fight, back at Brave 1.[51]
The UFC superstar was in attendance to watch Mlambo and his teammate Cian Cowley, who had a successful debut, stopping Daniel Olejniczak to score his first professional MMA victory.[52]
BRAVE Combat Federation became the first global MMA promotion to do a show in Africa,[53] as the organization hosted BRAVE 14, in Tangier, Morocco, on August 18.[54]
The event was hosted under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, the king of Morocco.[55]
In the main event, then-Lightweight champion Ottman Azaitar moved up to Welterweight to face Danijel Kokora and came out victorious via first-round TKO.[56]
A few weeks after his appearance at BRAVE 14, Azaitar was stripped of his Lightweight title for not defending it. The vacated belt would be contested later in the year, at BRAVE 18.[57]
The show was also marked by the debuts of former UFC fighter Jeremy Kennedy, who beat Danyel Pilo in the co-main event,[58] and future Welterweight world champion Abdoul Abdouraguimov, winner via TKO in the first round against Sidney Wheeler.[59]
Furthermore, the Moroccan crowd witnessed BRAVE's fastest-ever KO, as Djamil Chan ended Alejandro "Pato" Martinez's night at 29 seconds of their bout.[60]
After its first trip to Africa, BRAVE returned to South America, this time hosting its first-ever Colombia event.[61] BRAVE 15 took place in Bucaramanga and featured former UFC standout Godofredo Pepey taking on local star Alex "Rolo" Torres in the main event, and other six Brazilian fighters scheduled to take on other Latin American athletes from Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Peru,[62] with a clean sweep for Brazil, including Pepey submitting Torres and debut victories for Featherweight Gabriel "Fly" Miranda and Welterweight Geraldo "Luan Santana" Neto[63]
Sandwiched between two events in new territories (the other being BRAVE 17, in Pakistan) was the return of BRAVE to Abu Dhabi. The fight card for BRAVE 16 was topped by a title doubleheader as Carlston Harris (Welterweight) and Elias Boudegzdame (Featherweight) looked to defend their crowns in the two main fights.[64]
However, they were both bested by Jarrah Al-Selawe and Bubba Jenkins, respectively, and two new champions were crowned.[65]
As in other countries, BRAVE also became the first global event to host a fight night in Pakistan.[66] BRAVE 17 took place in Lahore and saw the emergence of Abdoul Abdouraguimov as a title contender, with the French-Russian submission specialist dominating veteran Rodrigo Cavalheiro en route to a unanimous decision victory[67]
The second edition of the International Combat Week, which culminated with BRAVE 18, was scheduled between November 12 and November 17, with the promotion's return to Bahrain coming on November 16.
BRAVE 18 was initially scheduled with three title fights, a first in company history. The Lightweight division would have a new champion after Ottman Azaitar's departure, Bantamweight kingpin Stephen Loman would look to defend his crown once again, while Velimurad Alkhasov and Marcel Adur would fight for the inaugural Flyweight crown[68]
In the main event of the evening, Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady stopped Lucas "Mineiro" Martins, then interim champion, and unified the Lightweight championship,[69] which was vacated earlier in the year due to inactivity by Ottman Azaitar.
Bantamweight champion Stephen Loman became the first titleholder to defend his crown twice for BRAVE as he beat Brazil's Felipe Efrain by decision in the co-main event.[69]
The Flyweight division remained without a champion, as Velimurad Alkhasov beat Marcel Adur via unanimous decision. Since the Russian powerhouse missed weight, the title would only be up for grabs in case of a win for Adur[70]
The event was attended by a host of big names such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jose "Shorty" Torres, Lenne Hardt and Sean O'Malley (fighter)[71]
December 2018 was the busiest month in the promotion's short history. BRAVE organized three events in three different countries, with a total of 12 shows in 12 nations for 2018.
BRAVE 19 took place on December 8, in Sun City, South Africa, another country which hosted an international MMA show for the first time with BRAVE Combat Federation[72]
In the main event, South African prospect Mark Hulme beat American veteran Adam Townsend by unanimous decision, in a violent bout, marked by a cut in Townsend's scalp, coming from an elbow from his opponent[73]
Two weeks later, the promotion made its much-awaited return to India, this time in Hyderabad, where Sidney Wheeler was initially scheduled to take Leon Aliu in the main event.[74] However, Aliu was forced to pull out due to injury and was replaced by Khamzat Chimaev.[75]
The Swede continued his trend of first-round TKO's by ending Wheeler's night after only 35 seconds, despite having only nine days to prepare for his first main event with BRAVE.[76]
Finally, the year was closed out by another debut country, with Saudi Arabia also having its first taste of international MMA with BRAVE 21, which was held in Jeddah, on December 28.[77]
Jeremy Kennedy continued his string of finishes under BRAVE as he overwhelmed rising star Marat Magomedov en route to a third-round TKO, in a bout that served as the main event[78]
With the success of Bantamweight champion Stephen Loman, BRAVE announced in November 2018 it would make its debut in the Philippines in 2019.[79] After weeks of speculation, BRAVE 22 was announced for March 15,[80] at the Mall of Asia Arena.[81]
The show featured the third title defense of Loman's title, as he took on former Featherweight champion Elias Boudegzdame, dropping down to Bantamweight for the first time under BRAVE.[82]
The show would initially feature the debut of amateur world champion Jose Torres, who would take on Amir Albazi in the co-main event.[83]
However, the American fighter was forced to withdraw due to injury and the bout was moved to BRAVE 23.[84]
In the main event, Loman maintained his undefeated Brave record with another dominant performance, knocking out Boudegzdame in the fourth round of their championship bout[85]
BRAVE 23: Pride and Honor took place on April 19, in Amman, Jordan, and the biggest story was the inauguration of the Super Lightweight division, with a title fight between Eldar Eldarov and Mounir Lazzez[86]
Aside from that, BRAVE 23 also featured another two title fights, with the main event happening between Welterweight champion Jarrah Al-Selawe and challenger Abdoul Abdouraguimov. The bout was also the official start of the Welterweight division as a 175 lbs weight class[87]
Finally, Lightweight world champion Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady would look to defend his title against Luan "Miau" Santiago, who was fresh off a decision victory against Djamil Chan[88]
In the main event, Abdouraguimov won a split decision to become the new Welterweight world champion in a very closely contested bout[89]
Eldarov became the first-ever Super Lightweight champion with a decision victory over Mounir Lazzez,[90] and Luan Santiago also knocked Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady off his throne with a spinning elbow KO.[91]
On July 25, BRAVE Combat Federation made its much-anticipated debut in London. With a seven-fight card in an invite-only show with hundreds of influencers, celebrities, and politicians.[92] In the main event, Bubba Jenkins successfully defended his Featherweight title against Brazil's Lucas Mineiro.[93]
A little more than a month later, BRAVE made its annual trip to Brazil, once again hosting an event in Belo Horizonte.[94] In the main event, newly crowned Lightweight world champion Luan Santiago ended up submitted in the first seconds of his bout against Cleiton Silva, who became the fifth BRAVE CF Lightweight titleholder.[95]
A week later, BRAVE returned to Colombia, when former UFC fighter Felipe Silva made his promotional debut. Silva scored a TKO victory over Dumar Roa, while Luana Pinheiro became the first woman with two BRAVE CF wins, by submitting Yasmeli Araque also in the first round of BRAVE 26.[96]
After successful events in Abu Dhabi and Romania, BRAVE Combat Federation turned its attention to its biggest show ever, which took place on November 15 in Isa Town, Bahrain. BRAVE CF 29 crowned the first-ever KHK World Champion, in a one-night, four-men, openweight tournament, that included Brazilians Guto Inocente and Kleber Orgulho, as well as Russian powerhouse Azamat Murzakanov and Lebanon superstar Mohammad Fakhreddine.[97]
After two fights in one night, Azamat Murzakanov came out victorious. He took home US$100,000, and also became the provisional holder of the KHK belt, weighing 6.2 kg of gold.[98] [99]
Return to India
BRAVE Combat Federation returned to India[100] for BRAVE CF 30 on November 23, 2019. The event was headlined by the Bantamweight title fight between champion Stephen Loman and Louie Sanoudakis. The card also had a strong presence of Indian fighters as well. Stephen Loman retained the title with a unanimous decision victory in the main event.[101]
After its return to India, BRAVE CF wrapped up 2019 with three more events: BRAVE CF 31 (South Africa), BRAVE CF 32 (Kyrgyzstan), and BRAVE CF 33 (Saudi Arabia).
At BRAVE CF 31, hometown favorite Chad Hanekom was upset by KO machine Daniel ‘’Gaucho’’ Pereira in the main event for the inaugural Middleweight championship.[102] At BRAVE CF 32, headlined by Carl Booth beating Hayder Hassan[103] the stand-out event was the debut of future Lightweight world champion Abdisalam Kubanychbek. BRAVE CF 33 wrapped up with its second event in Saudi Arabia, headlined by Ikram Aliskerov successfully returning to Middleweight and beating Diego Gonzalez, from Sweden.[104]
BRAVE Combat Federation kicked off 2020 with its first show in Slovenia, in partnership with WFC, the leading regional promotion in Ljubljana.[105] The organization announced BRAVE CF 35 (Brazil), BRAVE CF 36 (Romania), and BRAVE CF 37 (Sweden). However, the shows were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[106]
BRAVE CF returned to action in July, with BRAVE CF 35 and BRAVE CF 36 taking place in Romania,[107] in closed venues. Then, the organization moved on to Sweden for BRAVE CF 37, 38, 39, 40.[108]
During this run, many notable names made their debuts or returns to action in BRAVE CF, including Muhammad Mokaev, Anton Turkalj, Tahar Hadbi, Abdoul Abdouraguimov, Benoit St. Denis, and Carl Booth.
In September of 2021, BRAVE CF kicked off the first Kombat Kingdom series in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with BRAVE CF 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 all taking place in the space of two months. During this run, two new champions emerged, as Mohammad Fakhreddine took the Middleweight belt from Daniel ‘’Gaucho’’ Pereira [109] and Amin Ayoub beat Cleiton Silva to win the Lightweight title.[110]
A previously announced Flyweight tournament to decide the first-ever BRAVE CF 125-pound world champion kicked off at BRAVE CF 42, with Velimurad Alkhasov and Zach Makovsky advancing to face each other, while Jose Torres and Sean Santella fought to a draw.[111]
BRAVE Combat Federation kicked off 2021 in style with its first-ever event in Russia. In association with Krepost Selection, the organization hosted BRAVE CF 46 in Sochi.[112] Super Lightweight world champion Eldar Eldarov successfully defended its 165-pound world title against Leonardo Mafra.[113]
BRAVE CF then announced a series of four events, culminating with a historic BRAVE CF 50. To celebrate the occasion, the organization hosted BRAVE CF 47, 48, 49, and 50 at the historic Arad Fort, in Arad, Bahrain.[114]
BRAVE CF 47, themed as Asian Domination, showcased top fighters from the continent, headlined by Abdisalam Kubanychbek (Kyrgyzstan) beating Rolando Dy (Philippines) by second round corner stoppage.[115]
At BRAVE CF 48, named as Arabian Night, the top athletes from the region faced off with the likes of Murtaza Talha (Bahrain), Ahmed Labban (Lebanon), Maysara Mohammed (Egypt), and Husseim Salem (Iraq) earning huge wins.[116]
BRAVE CF 49: Super Fights featured the return of Muhammad Mokaev, who beat Abdul Hussein in a duel of IMMAF world champions; Jose Torres advancing to the semifinal of the Flyweight tournament by beating Blaine O’Driscoll (who replaced an injured Sean Santella), and was headlined by a Super Lightweight bout between Benoit St. Denis and Luan Santiago, which was won by St. Denis.[117]
Finally, at BRAVE CF 50, the organization put together a huge fight card, with 16 fights. Initially the fight card featured three title fights, but the Light Heavyweight title fight between Mohammad Fakhreddine and Mohamed Said Maalem fell through moments before both men were due to make the walk,[118] and earlier in the week Ahmed Amir fell injured and was unable to face champion Amin Ayoub.[119]
Nevertherless, BRAVE CF 50 delivered big time with Jarrah Al-Silawi defending his Super Welterweight title with a second-round TKO of Ismail Naurdiev, as well as Anton Turkalj landing the fastest knockout in company history, by beating Konstantin Soldatov in 13 seconds.[120]
BRAVE CF 50 also featured the first semifinal of the Flyweight tournament, with Velimuad Alkhasov advancing to the final, while Ali Bagautinov beat Dustin Ortiz to book a place in the second semifinal against Jose Torres.[121]
For the remainder of 2021, BRAVE CF would host events primarily in Europe, with the exception of BRAVE CF 53, which took place in Kazakhstan.
BRAVE CF 51 was hosted in Belarus, with the organization pitting former champion Lucas Martins against Marcel Grabinski in the main event. However, moments after the co-main event, the organization announced Grabinski fell ill backstage and the main event was cancelled[122] – the bout was rescheduled for BRAVE CF 53, but once again Marcel fell out, this time due to COVID-19.[123]
BRAVE CF 52 was the organization's first trip to Italy.[124] In association with The Golden Cage, the event was headlined by the Light Heavyweight world title fight that fell through at BRAVE CF 50. The fallout from the cancellation has created a major stir in the Arab MMA world and Mohamed Said Maalem and Mohammad Fakhreddine became bitter rivals in the build-up to the fight.
On fight night, Said Maalem initially beat Fakhreddine to capture the 205-pound title, but the result was overturned to a No Contest, due to illegal blows on the back of Fakhreddine's head.[125] The fallout from the event would add fuel to the fire in what is widely known as one of the bitterest rivalries in Arab MMA history.
At BRAVE CF 53, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, BRAVE CF partnered with Octagon League, promoting the return of Azat Maksum and the promotional debut of highly regarded top prospect Asu Almabaev, who beat former M-1 champion Aleksandar Doskalchuk. In the main event of the evening, a fight of the year candidate took place as South-Korean star Tae Kyun Kim beat hometown favorite Nurzhan Akishev.[126]
BRAVE CF then returned to Europe for BRAVE CF 54, which took place in Konin, Poland and was headlined by Amin Ayoub defending his world title against Ahmed Amir. The challenger put on a wrestling clinic to take the Lightweight belt to Egypt. It was also the final BRAVE CF appearance of Muhammad Mokaev, who submitted Blaine O’Driscoll in the second round of their co-main event.[127]
BRAVE Combat Federation returned to Russia, this time to Rostov-On-Don, for BRAVE CF 55, in association with PRO FC. In the main event, Ali Bagautinov was scheduled to face off against Jose Torres for the second semifinal of the Flyweight tournament[128] – however, Torres fell out on fight week, citing weight concerns, with Sean Santella stepping in last minute.[129] Bagautinov beat Santella in the first round to book an all-Russian Flyweight tournament final against Velimurad Alkhasov.[130]
BRAVE CF wrapped up 2021 with its debut in Serbia, in association with MMA Liga. In the main event of the evening, Slobodan Maksimovic narrowly beat Rolando Dy. BRAVE CF 56 also featured winning returns for Ahmed Labban and Borislav Nikolic as well as the successful debuts of Jakob Nedoh, Jovan Marjanovic, and Nikolay Nikolov.[131]
BRAVE Combat Federation partnered with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation to host the first-ever edition of the MMA Super Cup, a nation vs nation tournament with the biggest cash prize for the winning federation.[132]
The Kingdom of Bahrain, Ireland, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Balkans Team, Arab Champions, and Team Oceania were in contention, with Bahrain beating Ireland in the final.[133]
BRAVE Combat Federation organized BRAVE CF 57 to headline the 2022 BRAVE International Combat Week alongside the MMA Super Cup. The show featured three title fights: in the Lightweight division, former champion Cleiton Silva faced off against Abdisalam Kubanychbek for the interim 155-pound title, with the fight ending in a No Contest; Mohammad Fakhreddine and Mohamed Said Maalem finally ended their rivalry as Fakhreddine became the first double world champion, adding the Light Heavyweight title to his Middleweight belt; and in the main event of BRAVE CF 57, Brad Katona edged Hamza Kooheji for the Bantamweight world title.[134]
After BRAVE CF 57 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, BRAVE Combat Federation went back on the road, scoring debuts in South Korea, for BRAVE CF 58,[135] and Uzbekistan, for BRAVE CF 59. In the latter event, Abdisalam Kubanychbek finally landed his interim Lightweight world title shot, beating Olzhas Eskaraev, as Cleiton Silva elected to move up to Super Lightweight.[136]
Silva was one of the Brazilian fighters in action at BRAVE CF 60, as he scored a victory over Leonardo Mafra. In the main event, Lucas Martins knocked out Henrique Marques to earn his first BRAVE CF victory since 2018.[137]
A week after BRAVE CF 60, the organization made its debut in association with local organization NFC. The event was a historic one for BRAVE CF, as the organization reached a landmark number of 28 countries visited, a record at the time for all MMA promotions around the world.[138]
After successful stints in Kazakhstan for BRAVE CF 6 and BRAVE CF 53, the organization returned to the Central Asian country for BRAVE CF 62, which was headlined by Olzhas Eskaraev knocking out Rolando Dy.[139]
October saw BRAVE CF host three events in Bahrain, with title fights and huge bouts announced.[140] At BRAVE CF 63, Brad Katona successfully defended his Bantamweight world title against Gamzat Magomedov while Marcin Bandel shocked Ismail Naurdiev to become the new Super Welterweight world champion.[141]
At BRAVE CF 64, Roman Bogatov put on a dogged performance to capture the then-vacant Featherweight world title against Tae Kyun Kim, while Israel Mano made history, transforming Burkina Faso in the 80th nation to be represented inside the BRAVE CF arena.[142]
BRAVE CF 65 wapped up October in style with Hamza Kooheji headlining the event and beating Eduardo Mora from Colombia in the main event.[143]
BRAVE CF 66 marked the organization's return to Indonesia after over four years. The event, held in Bali, was headlined by Chad Hanekom landing a KO of the year against In Jae La, a moment that went viral on social media.[144]
BRAVE CF returned to Bahrain for BRAVE CF 67, with Eldar Eldarov headlining a Super Welterweight, non-title bout, and beating Denis Maher, before the promotion closed out 2022 with its second trip to Germany.[145]
This time at Düsseldorf, BRAVE CF 68 hosted Joilton Lutterbach vs Mihail Cotruta as the main event in an interim Super Lightweight title bout – Joilton won by first-round KO but was ineligible to win the belt due to not making weight the day before.[146]
See main article: List of current Brave CF fighters.
BRAVE Combat Federation follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that were originally established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board and modified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.[147]
After the Association of Boxing Commissions approved the opening of new weight classes,[148] BRAVE announced it would become the first international promotion to introduce a Super Lightweight division, as well as pushing the Welterweight limit to 175 lbs.[149]
See also: Mixed martial arts weight classes.
BRAVE Combat Federation has following weight classes:
| Weight class name | Upper limit | Current champion | Date won | Title Defenses | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |||||
| Flyweight | 125 | 56.7 | Vacant | - | - | |
| Bantamweight | 135 | 61.2 |  Nkosi Ndebele | December 15, 2023 | 1 | |
| Featherweight | 145 | 65.8 |  Nemat Abdrashitov | June 23, 2023 | 0 | |
| Lightweight | 155 | 70.3 | Abdisalam Kubanychbek | December 5, 2023 | 2 | |
| Super Lightweight | 165 | 74.8 |  Eldar Eldarov | April 19, 2019 | 1 | |
| Super Welterweight | 175 | 79.4 |  Kamal Magomedov | December 5, 2023 | 0 | |
| Middleweight | 185 | 83.9 | Vacant | |||
| Light Heavyweight | 205 | 93.0 |  Erko Jun | September 28, 2024 | 0 | |
| Heavyweight | 265 | 120.0 | Pavel Dailidko | September 28, 2024 | 0 | |
206 to 265 lbs (93.4 to 120.2 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=center | Brave CF 88 | align=center | Sep 28, 2024 | align=center | (incumbent) | ||||
186 to 205 lbs (84.3 to 93 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left |  Klidson Abreu | align=center | Brave CF 8 | align=center | Aug 12, 2017 | align=center | 327 days | |||
| Abreu vacated his title and parted ways with BRAVE CF on July 5, 2018[150] | |||||||||||
| 2 | align=left | align=center | Brave CF 52 | align=center | Aug 1, 2021 | align=center | 14 days | ||||
| Said Maalem was stripped of the title on August 15, 2021, when his bout with Fakhreddine was overturned to a no contest due to illegal blows to the back of the head. | |||||||||||
| 3 | align=left |  Mohammad Fakhreddine | align=center | Brave CF 57 | align=center | Mar 11, 2022 | align=center | 105 days | |||
| Fakhreddine vacated the title on June 24, 2022, when he left the promotion. | |||||||||||
| 4 | align=left | Erko Jun | align=center | Brave CF 88 | align=center | Sep 28, 2024 | align=center | (incumbent) | |||
176 to 185 lbs (79.8 to 83.9 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | Daniel Pereira | align=center | Brave CF 31 | align=center | Dec 7, 2019 | align=center | 285 days | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=center | Brave CF 41 | align=center | Sep 17, 2020 | align=center | 645 days | ||||
| Fakhreddine vacated the title on June 24, 2022, when he left the promotion. | |||||||||||
166 to 175 lbs (75.3 kg to 79.4 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left |  Carlston Harris | align=center | | align=center | Aug 12, 2017 | align=center | 405 days | |||
| 2 | align=left |  Jarrah Al-Silawi | align=center | Brave CF 16 | align=center | Sep 21, 2018 | align=center | 210 days | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=center | Brave CF 23 | align=center | Apr 19, 2019 | align=center | 168 days | ||||
| 4 | align=left | Jarrah Al-Silawi | align=center | Brave CF 27 | align=center | Oct 4, 2019 | align=center | 706 days | |||
| Al-Silawi vacated his title after signing with PFL | |||||||||||
| 5 | align=left |  Marcin Bandel | align=center | Brave CF 63 | align=center | Oct 19, 2022 | align=center | 422 days | |||
| 6 | align=left | Kamal Magomedov | align=center | Brave CF 77 | align=center | Dec 5, 2023 | align=center | (incumbent) | |||
| 7 | align=left | Luiz Cado | align=center | Brave CF 89 | align=center | Oct 19, 2024 | align=center | (incumbent) | |||
156 to 165 lbs (70.8 kg to 74.9 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=center | Brave CF 23 | align=center | Apr 19, 2019 | align=center | (incumbent) | ||||
146 to 155 lbs (66.2 to 70.3 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left |  Ottman Azaitar | align=center | Brave CF 9 | align=center | Nov 17, 2017 | align=center | 671 days | |||
| Azaitar was stripped of his title and released by BRAVE on September 19, 2018 for not defending the belt[151] | |||||||||||
| - | align=left | Lucas Martins | align=center | Brave CF 11 | align=center | Apr 13, 2018 | align=center | – | |||
| 2 | align=left | Lucas Martins | align=center | – | align=center | Sep 19, 2018 | align=center | 58 days | |||
| 3 | align=left | Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady | align=center | Brave CF 18 | align=center | Nov 16, 2018 | align=center | 154 days | |||
| 4 | align=left | Luan Santiago Carvalho | align=center | Brave CF 23 | align=center | Apr 19, 2019 | align=center | 133 days | |||
| 5 | align=left | Cleiton Silva | align=center | Brave CF 25 | align=center | Aug 30, 2019 | align=center | 433 days | |||
| 6 | align=left |  Amin Ayoub | align=center | Brave CF 44 | align=center | Nov 5, 2020 | align=center | 324 days | |||
| 7 | align=left |  Ahmed Amir | align=center | Brave CF 54 | align=center | Sep 25, 2021 | align=center | 472 days | |||
| Amir was stripped of his title on January 10, 2023 due to uncertainty regarding his competition status.[152] | |||||||||||
| – | align=left | Abdisalam Kubanychbek | align=center | Brave CF 59 | align=center | Jun 18, 2022 | align=center | – | |||
| 8 | align=left | Abdisalam Kubanychbek | align=center | Brave CF 69 | align=center | Feb 18, 2023 | align=center | (incumbent) | |||
136 to 145 lbs (61.7 to 65.8 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=center | Brave CF 4 | align=center | May 31, 2017 | align=center | 478 days | ||||
| 2 | align=left |  Bubba Jenkins | align=center | Brave CF 16 | align=center | Sep 21, 2018 | align=center | 532 days | |||
| Bubba Jenkins vacated his title after signing with Professional Fighters League. | |||||||||||
| 3 | align=left | Roman Bogatov | align=center | Brave CF 64 | align=center | Oct 22, 2022 | align=center | 244 days | |||
| 4 | align=left | Nemat Abdrashitov | align=center | Brave CF 72 | align=center | Jun 23, 2023 | align=center | (incumbent) | |||
126 to 135 lbs (57.1 to 61.2 kg)
| style= width:1%;" | No. | style= width:21%;" | Name | style= width:16%;" | Event | style=width:13%;" | Date | style=width:9%;" | Reign (total) | style= width:49%;" | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=center | Brave CF 9 | align=center | Nov 17, 2017 | align=center | 1179 days | ||||
| Loman vacated his title after signing with ONE Championship.[153] | |||||||||||
| 2 | align=left |  Brad Katona | align=center | Brave CF 57 | align=center | Mar 11, 2022 | align=center | 359 days | |||
| Katona vacated the title, would make his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 31. | |||||||||||
| 3 | align=left | Jose Torres | align=center | Brave CF 73 | align=center | Aug 12, 2023 | align=center | 125 days | |||
| 4 | align=left | Nkosi Ndebele | align=center | Brave CF 80 | align=center | Dec 15, 2023 | align=center | (incumbent) | |||
BRAVE Combat Federation has held events in 19 countries during its three-plus years of operations. BRAVE has been to Bahrain, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Jordan, Indonesia, Northern Ireland, Morocco, Colombia, Pakistan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, England, Romania, Kyrgyzstan,[154] Slovenia,[155] and will make its Sweden debut soon.[156] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the promotion has announced that the upcoming three shows will be postponed until a later date.[157]
On July 20, BRAVE CF returned with BRAVE CF 35 taking place in Romania.[158] A week later, the organization hosted another show in Romania,[159] and then moved on to Sweden for four straight events.[160]
After BRAVE CF 40, the organization announced plans for three straight shows in Bahrain.[161]
Following the tremendous success of the Kombat Kingdom series, BRAVE CF announced two further shows in Bahrain. BRAVE CF 44 took place on November 5, while BRAVE CF 45, scheduled for the following week, was postponed to November 19, due to the passing of the Bahrain Prime Minister.[162] In early November, BRAVE CF announces its first show in Russia will take place in January 2021.[163] After a successful BRAVE CF 46, the organization announced a series of four events, culminating in BRAVE CF 50, on April 1.[164]
The expansion of BRAVE has been a wish of president Mohammed "The Hawk" Shahid, who claimed the idea behind going to different continents is to provide athletes with a truly global platform so they can showcase their talents, give opportunities to local fighters to shine in the international stage,[165] as well as show that BRAVE is "the fastest-growing promotion in the world" [166]
| Event | Date | Venue | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRAVE CF 89 | October 19, 2024 | Pabellon Santiago Martin | Tenerife, Spain | |
| BRAVE CF 88 | September 28, 2024 | Hala Tivoli | Ljubljana, Slovenia | |
| BRAVE CF 87 | September 22, 2024 | Hoornse Vaart | Alkmaar, Netherlands | |
| BRAVE CF 86 | August 24, 2024 | Burgas Arena | Burgas, Bulgaria | |
| BRAVE CF 85 | August 18, 2024 | Captain Fasih Babar Amin Shaheed Sports Complex | Lahore, Pakistan | |
| BRAVE CF 84 | August 9, 2024 | Henan TV Television Studio | Zhengzhou, China |
| Event | Date | Venue | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83 | BRAVE CF 83 | May 25, 2024 | Hoornse Vaart | Alkmaar, Netherlands | |
| 82 | BRAVE CF 82 | May 11, 2024 | Cote d'Or National Sports Complex | Cote d'Or, Mauritius | |
| 81 | BRAVE CF 81 | April 20, 2024 | Hala Tivoli | Ljubljana, Slovenia | |
| 80 | BRAVE CF 80 | December 15, 2023 | Khalifa Sports City Arena | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 79 | BRAVE CF 79 | December 8, 2023 | |||
| 78 | BRAVE CF 78 | December 7, 2023 | Centro de Formação Olímpica | Fortaleza, Brazil | |
| 77 | BRAVE CF 77 | December 5, 2023 | Khalifa Sports City Arena | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 76 | BRAVE CF 76 | November 25, 2023 | Balai Sarbini | Jakarta, Indonesia | |
| 75 | BRAVE CF 75 | November 18, 2023 | Pacho Camurria Arena | Tenerife, Spain | |
| 74 | BRAVE CF 74 | September 7, 2023 | H Arena | Nantes, France | |
| 73 | BRAVE CF 73 Pan-American Combat Week 2023 | August 12, 2023 | Coliseo El Salitre | Bogota, Colombia | |
| 72 | BRAVE CF 72 | June 23, 2023 | National Stadium | Riffa, Bahrain | |
| 71 | BRAVE CF 71 | June 19, 2023 | National Stadium | Riffa, Bahrain | |
| 70 | BRAVE CF 70 | April 23, 2023 | Hala Tivoli | Ljubljana, Slovenia | |
| 69 | BRAVE CF 69 | February 18, 2023 | Stark Arena | Belgrade, Serbia | |
| 68 | BRAVE CF 68 | December 17, 2022 | Maritim Hotel | Düsseldorf, Germany | |
| 67 | BRAVE CF 67 | December 12, 2022 | Hall B | Riffa, Bahrain | |
| 66 | BRAVE CF 66 | November 26, 2022 | Politeknik Pariwisata | Bali, Indonesia | |
| 65 | BRAVE CF 65: Rumble in the Kingdom | October 28, 2022 | Khalifa Sports City Stadium | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 64 | BRAVE CF 64: African All Star | October 22, 2022 | |||
| 63 | BRAVE CF 63: Two Title Fights | October 19, 2022 | |||
| 62 | BRAVE CF 62 | September 30, 2022 | Baluan Sholak Sports Palace | Almaty, Kazakhstan | |
| 61 | BRAVE CF 61 | August 6, 2022 | Maritim Hotel | Bonn, Germany | |
| 60 | BRAVE CF 60 | July 30, 2022 | National Stadium | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 59 | BRAVE CF 59 | June 18, 2022 | Amphitheater Bukhara | Bukhara, Uzbekistan | |
| 58 | BRAVE CF 58 | April 30, 2022 | Samsan World Gymnasium | Incheon, South Korea | |
| 57 | BRAVE CF 57 | March 11, 2022 | Khalifa Sports City Stadium | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 56 | BRAVE CF 56 | December 18, 2021 | BEL Expo Center | Belgrade, Serbia | |
| 55 | BRAVE CF 55 | November 6, 2021 | Rostov-on-Don, Russia | ||
| 54 | BRAVE CF 54 | September 24, 2021 | Konin, Poland | ||
| 53 | BRAVE CF 53 | August 21, 2021 | Almaty, Kazakhstan | ||
| 52 | BRAVE CF 52: Bad Blood | August 1, 2021 | Milan, Italy | ||
| 51 | BRAVE CF 51: The Future Is Here | June 4, 2021 | Falcon Club | Minsk, Belarus | |
| 50 | BRAVE CF 50 | April 1, 2021 | Arad Fort | Arad, Bahrain | |
| 49 | BRAVE CF 49: Super Fights | March 25, 2021 | |||
| 48 | BRAVE CF 48: Arabian Night | March 18, 2021 | |||
| 47 | BRAVE CF 47: Asian Domination | March 11, 2021 | |||
| 46 | BRAVE CF 46 | January 16, 2021 | WOW Arena | Sochi, Russia | |
| 45 | BRAVE CF 45 | November 19, 2020 | National Stadium | Riffa, Bahrain | |
| 44 | BRAVE CF 44 | November 5, 2020 | |||
| 43 | BRAVE CF 43 | October 1, 2020 | |||
| 42 | BRAVE CF 42 | September 24, 2020 | |||
| 41 | BRAVE CF 41 | September 17, 2020 | |||
| 40 | BRAVE CF 40 | August 24, 2020 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 39 | BRAVE CF 39 | August 15, 2020 | |||
| 38 | BRAVE CF 38 | August 8, 2020 | |||
| 37 | BRAVE CF 37 | August 1, 2020 | |||
| 36 | BRAVE CF 36 | July 27, 2020 | Berăria H | Bucharest, Romania | |
| 35 | BRAVE CF 35 | July 20, 2020 | |||
| 34 | BRAVE CF 34 | January 19, 2020 | Hala Tivoli | Ljubljana, Slovenia | |
| 33 | BRAVE CF 33: Aliskerov vs. Gonzalez | December 27, 2019 | Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | |
| 32 | BRAVE CF 32: Booth vs. Hassan | December 14, 2019 | Sport Palace Kozhomkul | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | |
| 31 | BRAVE CF 31: Hanekom vs. Gaucho | December 7, 2019 | Sibaya Casino | Durban, South Africa | |
| 30 | BRAVE CF 30: Loman vs. Sanoudakis | November 23, 2019 | Gachibowli Indoor Arena | Hyderabad, India | |
| 29 | BRAVE CF 29 | November 15, 2019 | Khalifa Sports City Arena | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 28 | BRAVE CF 28: Brewin vs. Gierzsewski | November 4, 2019 | Beraria H | Bucharest, Romania | |
| 27 | BRAVE CF 27: Abdoul vs. Jarrah 2 | October 4, 2019 | Mubadala Arena | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| 26 | BRAVE CF 26: Silva vs. Roa | September 7, 2019 | Coliseo Hernán Jaramillo | Bogota, Colombia | |
| 25 | BRAVE CF 25: Santiago vs. Silva | August 30, 2019 | Arena Minas Tennis Club | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | |
| 24 | BRAVE CF 24: London | July 25, 2019 | Copper Box Arena | London, England, U.K. | |
| 23 | BRAVE CF 23: Pride and Honor | April 19, 2019 | Martyr Rashid Al-Ziyoud Hall | Amman, Jordan | |
| 22 | BRAVE CF 22: Storm of Warriors | March 15, 2019 | SM Mall of Asia Arena | Pasay, Philippines | |
| 21 | BRAVE CF 21: Saudi Arabia | December 28, 2018 | King Abdullah Sports City Indoor Sports Hall | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | |
| 20 | MTV BRAVE 20 | December 22, 2018 | Gachibowli Indoor Stadium | Hyderabad, India | |
| 19 | BRAVE CF 19: Africa Combat Week 2018 | December 8, 2018 | Super Bowl at Sun City Resort | Sun City, South Africa | |
| 18 | BRAVE CF 18: International Combat Week 2018 | November 16, 2018 | Khalifa Sports City Arena | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 17 | BRAVE CF 17: Pakistan | October 27, 2018 | Nishtar Park Sports Concert | Lahore, Pakistan | |
| 16 | BRAVE CF 16: Abu Dhabi | September 21, 2018 | Mubadala Arena | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| 15 | BRAVE CF 15: Colombia | September 7, 2018 | Coliseo Bicentenario | Bucaramanga, Colombia | |
| 14 | BRAVE CF 14: Morocco | August 18, 2018 | Omnisports Indoor Club of Tangier | Tangier, Morocco | |
| 13 | BRAVE CF 13: European Evolution | June 9, 2018 | SSE Arena | Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K. | |
| 12 | BRAVE CF 12: KHK Legacy | May 11, 2018 | Balai Sarbini | Jakarta, Indonesia | |
| 11 | BRAVE CF 11: Mineiro vs. Santiago | April 13, 2018 | Mineirão | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | |
| 10 | BRAVE CF 10: The Kingdom Rises | March 2, 2018 | Prince Hamzah Sporting Hall | Amman, Jordan | |
| 9 | BRAVE CF 9: The Kingdom of Champions | November 17, 2017 | Khalifa Sports City Arena | Isa Town, Bahrain | |
| 8 | BRAVE CF 8: The Rise of Champions | August 12, 2017 | Tarumã, Curitiba, Brazil | ||
| 7 | BRAVE CF 7: Untamed | July 29, 2017 | Plaza de Toros, Caliente Casino | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| 6 | April 29, 2017 | Almaty Arena | Almaty, Kazakhstan | ||
| 5 | April 23, 2017 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium | Mumbai, India | ||
| 4 | March 31, 2017 | IPIC Arena | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | ||
| 3 | March 18, 2017 | Max Rosenmann Arena | Curitiba, Brazil | ||
| 2 | December 2, 2016 | Khalifa Sports City Arena | Isa Town, Bahrain | ||
| 1 | September 23, 2016 | ||||
| Record | Fighter | Number | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Bouts | Mohammad Fakhreddine Jarrah Al-Silawi | 11 | |
| Most Wins | Jarrah Al-Silawi | 10 | |
| Most Total Fight Time | Hamza Kooheji | 144m17s | |
| Most Knockouts | Mohammad Fakhreddine | 6 | |
| Fastest Knockout | Ramazan Gitinov[167] | 0:08 | |
| Most Submissions | Elias Boudegzdame | 4 | |
| Fastest Submission |  Mashrabjon Ruziboev | 0:18 |
BRAVE Combat Federation announced last year the creation of BRAVE TV, an online subscription service in which fans would be able to watch live events, as well as reruns of old shows. BRAVE 23 was available on the newly formed online streaming platform to fans from all over the world, except for those territories contemplated with preexisting TV deals.[174]
BRAVE Combat Federation has announced initiation of operations of their subsidiary film production unit named BRAVE Films. To commence operations the film production unit produced the television documentary-drama "SMILE"[182] on 26 June during Eid.[183] The documentary narrates the story of the featherweight champion of BRAVE Combat Federation and behind the scenes of his training leading to the championship bout. The content was shot extensively in Montpellier, France and Tijuana, Mexico apart from locations in Bahrain and in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The initiative was publicised to popularise mixed martial arts and to showcase the lifestyle of fighters[184] and marks the launch of "BRAVE Films", a film production segment by BRAVE Combat Federation.[185]
In February 2017, KHK MMA and IMMAF announced, during a press conference, a partnership which would see the Amateur World Championships move from Las Vegas to Bahrain for the first time.[186]
IMMAF president Kerrith Brown was present at the official announcement, in which Bahrain MMA Association president Khalid Abdulaziz Al Khayyat praised Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa's commitment to creating a culture for mixed martial arts in the region and claimed this shift as a deal closer for the world championships to move to Bahrain.[187]
In addition to the world championships, BRAVE president Mohammed "The Hawk" Shahid announced in the same press conference that the promotion would host a show in the same week as the World Championships, saying it would be "one of the biggest fight weeks we've seen in Middle East combat sports history", which was named International Combat Week[188]
Organized under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa,[189] the first International Combat Week was held from November 12 to November 19, with BRAVE 9 taking place on November 17, featuring two title fights.
In March 2018, IMMAF president Kerrith Brown officially announced the return of the Amateur World Championships to Bahrain for 2018 and 2019.[190]
The 2018 International Combat Week took place between November 11 and November 18, with BRAVE 18 taking place on November 16.[191]
BRAVE 18 crowned a new Lightweight champion in Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady, and Stephen Loman retained his Bantamweight title by defending it against Brazil's Felipe Efrain.[192]