Not only will Brave CF make it's return to Pakistan for the first time in nearly six years with Brave CF 85, but a key fighter in India's MMA development will also be making a long-awaited return.
The promotion announced the full card for Brave CF 85 in Lahore, Pakistan, today for August 18th. In the main event, Ukrainian Omar Solomonov (12-2) fights Kazakhstan's Rauan Bekbolat (9-3-2) at featherweight. The rest of the card is full of great prospects from India, Pakistan, and the broader Muslim world of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Perhaps most interesting of the additions is the inclusion of Bharat Khandare of India. Hardcore UFC fans may remember Khandare (6-3) from the first UFC show in mainland China back in November of 2017, where he fought a young, late-notice replacement fighter in Song Yadong. The fight would be a bonus-snatching showcase for the present-day Chinese star, but it was also an important moment for Indian MMA as Khandare was the first Indian-born fighter to compete in the UFC.
He hasn't fought in MMA since that first UFC Shanghai event, and is making his return after nearly seven years away. He'll fight Pakistan's Zia Mashwani (4-3), who made his professional debut at the first Brave CF event in Pakistan in October of 2018.
The other India vs. Pakistan battle on the Brave CF 85 card is MFN veteran Srikant Sekhar (7-7) taking on undefeated Pakistani lightweight Rizwan Ali (7-0) in the co-main event. Sekhar went 4-3 for Matrix Fight Night, including battles with Anshul Jubli and John Mitchell. His opponent, Ali, has fought exclusively on the Pakistani regional MMA circuit and faces the biggest test of his career in Sekhar.
Brave CF 85 is overall a deeply layered card, with perhaps the number one prospects from both Pakistan and Nepal- Ismail Khan and Yuki Angdembe, respectively, in action. Khan (7-1) will fight Kazakh Bagylan Zhakansha (5-0), while Angdembe (4-1) fights Iran's Mojtaba Nasiri (4-3).
The event takes place on August 18th in Lahore, Pakistan, with a venue yet to be announced.
Full Brave CF 85 lineup:
Omar Solomanov vs. Rauan Bekbolat
Srikant Sekhar vs. Rizwan Ali
Eliezer Kubanza vs. Salamat Orozakunov
Ismail Khan vs. Bagylan Zhakansha
Magomed Idrisov vs. Lasha Abramishvili
Bharat Khandare vs. Zia Mashwani
Aqib Awan vs. Marwin Quirante
Abbas Khan vs. Adham Mohamed
Murad Guseinov vs. Ruslan Serikpulov
Yuki Angdembe vs. Mojtaba Nasiri
Comentários