Almaty : The stage is set for BRAVE Combat Federation’s return to Almaty, Kazakhstan tomorrow night, August 21st after the gallant warriors competing on the main card of BRAVE CF 53 got their clearance to strut their wares in front of a worldwide audience during the official weigh-ins on Friday morning.
All eyes are on the headlining bout. Ranked as the No. 5 featherweight in Central Asia, Nurzhan “Bizon” Akishev is scheduled to lock horns with unbeaten South Korean standout Tae Kyun “Ares” Kim in a main event.
Akishev stepped on the scales at 66.2 kilograms, while Kim was slightly lighter than the hometown favorite as he weighed 65.85 kilograms.
The 28-year-old Kazakh grappling maestro holds a stellar professional record of 11-3 with eight victories by submission and two via knockout, and prior to his promotional debut this past January, he was riding high on a four-fight winning streak.
Akishev eyes redemption after losing to Roman Bogatov via unanimous decision at BRAVE CF 46. However, the man standing in his re-entry to the winner’s circle is Kim, who has been on a roll with three consecutive victories under the organization’s banner.
A possible shot at the vacant BRAVE CF Featherweight World Championship could be on the horizon if either one of them will be able to secure the decisive win.
A blue-chip recruit is likewise slated to make his maiden appearance at BRAVE CF 53 as Vasiliy Takhtay (73 KG) faces fellow newcomer Roger Sampaio (72.9 KG) in a catchweight contest.
Meanwhile, Asu “Zulfikar” Almabaev (57 KG) will have his big break on the global stage as he dukes it out against Ukraine’s Aleksander Doskalchu (57.05 KG) in a three-round flyweight encounter.
On the other hand, Azat “Kazakh” Maksum (57.1 KG) seeks to carry over his regional success to BRAVE CF by taking on fellow flyweight Flavio “Flavinho” de Queiroz (56.75 KG).
Olzhas Eskaraev, Ernis Abdilakim Uulu, and Maksat Zholdosh missed weight, and will be penalized accordingly. The bouts against Lucas “Mineiro”, Aktore Batyrbek, and Sanjarbek Erkinov, respectively, will go on as scheduled otherwise.
