BRAVE Combat Federation makes history with an epic event in Bulgaria

BRAVE Combat Federation debuted in Bulgaria on Saturday night and the event had plenty of action for MMA fans.

BRAVE Combat Federation’s debut event in Bulgaria, BRAVE CF 86, lived up to expectations as it delivered exciting fights for fans in Burgas and around the world.

In the main event, Mohammed Said Maalem made a strong comeback following his loss at BRAVE CF 81 by stopping Bulgarian veteran Atanas Djambazov in the third round. The first round was a battle of strength as both fighters looked to establish their dominance. In the second round, Djambazov began to show signs of fatigue but continued to defend against Said Maalem’s attacks. However, in the third round, Said Maalem took advantage of Djambazov’s fatigue and secured the finish.

Alex Lohoré earned his second consecutive first-round stoppage in BRAVE Combat Federation by defeating Bulgarian Jivko Stoimenov in the co-main event. Lohoré landed a powerful uppercut that dropped Stoimenov, then continued to strike until the referee intervened. Following his win, Lohoré expressed interest in a super welterweight title shot and talked about possibly challenging Kamal Magomedov.

The fight between Pavel Vladev and Christian Mach turned out to be a crazy one. Vladev went for a quick finish, but Mach’s grappling skills neutralized him. Later, Vladev nearly scored the win with a ground and pound at the end of the first round, but failed to beat the clock. A similar pattern developed in the second round, but this time Vladev managed to secure a ground and pound victory just seconds before the round ended, extending his winning streak to six.

Khamzat Maaev returned to winning ways with a first-round submission victory over Antonio Bushev. Maaev applied pressure from the start and did not give Bushev a chance to mount an offense before securing a triangle choke. This was Maaev’s fifth first-round win in his professional MMA career, marking a strong comeback after his first professional loss at BRAVE CF 79.

Six-time amateur MMA champion Rusi Minev continued his professional career with a dominant performance, outpointing Christos Tsirimokos in three rounds with his grappling prowess. Minev’s win handed the previously undefeated Tsirimokos his first professional MMA loss.

The catchweight fight between Gabriel Gilthon and Eduard Evdokimov was a classic fighter-versus-puncher matchup, filled with high-energy action. A powerful kick to the liver followed by punches in the third round gave Evdokimov the stoppage victory.

In the opening fight, Anton Yanchev put on a dominant performance, scoring a first-round submission victory and remaining undefeated. This was the third consecutive knockout win for Yanchev, who was supported by the crowd in attendance.

With BRAVE CF 86, BRAVE Combat Federation extended its world record as the most-traveled MMA organization, with Bulgaria becoming the 34th host country. This event also extended BRAVE Combat Federation’s record as the most-traveled MMA organization in Europe, with Bulgaria becoming the 15th host country on the continent.

Next up, BRAVE Combat Federation will head to the Netherlands for BRAVE CF 87, scheduled for September 22. Six days later, the more global organization returns to Slovenia for BRAVE CF 88, which features a double-header headliner.

BRAVE CF 86 Results:

Light heavyweight: Said Maalem defeated Atanas Djambazov by technical knockout (punches) – 3 min 15 s – 3rd round
Super welterweight – Alex Lohoré defeated Jivko Stoimenov by KO (punches) – 4m03s – Round 1
Lightweight: Pavel Vladev defeated Christian Mach by technical knockout (punches) – 4m50s – Round 2
Super Lightweight: Khamzat Maaev defeated Antonio Bushev by submission (triangle choke) – 1m50s – Round 1
Lightweight: Rusi Minev defeated Christos Tsirimokos by unanimous decision (3x 30-27)
Catchweight 68 kg – Eduard Evdokimov defeated Gabriel Gilthon by technical knockout (punches) – 2m59s – Round 3
Lightweight: Anton Yanchev defeated Patryk Krzak by submission (rear-naked choke) – 2m47s – Round 1