BRAVE CF shortlists five bouts for Fight of the Year awards

TDT | Manama                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

2022 was an incredible year for BRAVE Combat Federation as athletes proved what it means to be fighting in the most global MMA promotion, with several bouts entertaining the masses throughout the last 365 days.

But only five fights could make the cut and have been chosen as nominees for the BRAVE CF Fight of the Year award.

The first entry is the BRAVE CF 57 battle between Mohammad Fakhreddine and Mohamed Said Maalem.

Following their first challenge for the vacant Light Heavyweight title that controversially ended in a No Contest, the hype was shifted into overdrive as the two warriors prepared to settle the score in the rematch.

BRAVE CF Middleweight champion Fakhreddine eventually became the first BRAVE CF and Arab double champion when he finished his opponent via TKO due to strikes in the second round after a barn-burner first round.

The second entry for the award is the BRAVE CF 59 bout between Abdisalam Kubanychbek and Olzhas Eskaraev.

The main event was a fairy-tale ending for Kyrgyzstan’s Kubanychbek, who became the BRAVE CF interim Lightweight champion when he beat Kazakhstan’s Eskaraev via unanimous decision.

Kubanychebk showed worldclass fight IQ, high-level grappling, and crisp boxing to secure a decisive victory.

Third on the list is the Lightweight smash hit between Russians Akmed Shervaniev and Kamil Magomedov.

It was a high-octane, never-back-down, full-blown war between these two athletes.

This BRAVE CF Lightweight clash showcased knockdowns, submission attempts, conditioning, heart, skill, and character in a matchup that was too close to call, one that could have even gone to a draw.

However, Shervaniev eventually got the nod with a split-decision victory.

Representing the Bantamweights, Canada’s BRAVE CF champion, Brad Katona, gave MMA purists a real treat when he put on a clinic to retain his title against Bahrain’s Gamzat Magomedov at BRAVE CF 63.

From round one to five, Katona was one step ahead of Magomedov, who could only score two takedowns throughout the fight as Katona had incredible movement, takedown defense, and supreme cardio.

The fifth entry for the 2022 BRAVE CF Fight of the Night is the fight between Roman Bogatov and Tae Kyun Kim at BRAVE CF 64.

Russia’s Roman Bogatov put on a dogged performance to become the BRAVE CF Featherweight champion of the world.

From round one, the Russian absorbed the electric power of South Korea’s Tae Kyun Kim to grind out a hard-fought split-decision win at the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, Bahrain.