With a ticket to the finals of the prestigious Flyweight World Title Tournament up for grabs in the main event, BRAVE CF 55 on November 6 has plenty of prestige and excitement in store at the top of the bill.
The Bahrain-based promotion’s return trip to Russia is bannered by the tourney’s semi-final duel between hometown favorite Ali “The King Puncher” Bagautinov and Jose “Shorty” Torres of the United States–with the winner moving on to face the highly-touted Velimurad Alkhasov.
However, the supporting card is also plenty capable of providing fireworks. From fearless strikers to crafty submission specialists, here are five bouts that could end up stealing the spotlight from the headlining showdown.
Mochamed Machaev vs. Kasum Kasumov
Mochamed “The Beast” Machaev of Austria seeks vindication at 135 pounds when he faces Russia’s very own Kasum Kasumov at BRAVE CF 55.
Machaev fell short in his bantamweight debut at BRAVE CF 52: Bad Blood this past August, succumbing to a jaw-dropping 54-second knockout defeat at the hands of Kasumov’s compatriot Gamzat Magomedov.
Prior to the heartbreaking setback, “The Beast” was riding high on a ten-fight unbeaten streak. Now, he looks to redeem himself by going up against Kasmov, a grappling maestro who owns an impressive 13-1 win-loss slate with seven victories by way of submission.
Kasumov turned heads in his first two assignments under the organization’s banner, forcing Rany Saadeh to tap with the rare Von Flue choke in the second round of their November 2019 clash before strangling Dimitar Kostov with a first-round arm-triangle choke in October 2020.
A decisive win by either man could land a shot at the vacant BRAVE CF Bantamweight World Championship.
Rustam Chsiev vs. Daniel Pereira
Mohammad “The Latest” Fakhreddine could meet the next challenger for his BRAVE CF Middleweight World Title at the organization’s next extravaganza in Rostov-on-Dov as Rustam “The Russian Bear” Chsiev battles former division kingpin Daniel “Gaucho” Pereira.
Chsiev has firmly established himself as one of the top-tier athletes at 185 pounds, possessing a superb wrestling pedigree that he honed in his hometown of North Ossetia, Russia.
His bread-and-butter has produced three consecutive victories inside the cage, prevailing over the likes of Tarek Suleiman, Brendan Lesar and Enrico Cortese.
Meanwhile, Pereira is one of the top middleweights to emerge from Brazil in recent history. He has steamrolled through the competition in his home country, with a knack for winning by stoppage.
The 30-year-old is equally adept in finishing his opponents by strikes or by submission. He looks to showcase his multifaceted skill set in Rostov-on-Don and will face a tough challenge when he takes on a hometown hero like Chsiev.
Kamal Magomedov vs. Luis Felipe Dias
Undefeated Russian stalwart Kamal Magomedov will make his maiden appearance under the Bahrain-based outfit’s banner against fellow debutant Luis Felipe Dias of Brazil at BRAVE CF 55.
Magomedov owns a perfect professional record of 8-0 and has gone the distance in his career, winning five fights by way of submission and three via knockout.
The 30-year-old Russian knows how to have gold fastened around his waist, submitting his opponent with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
Like Magomedov, Dias has won a couple of hardwares during his stint at the regional level, amassing a win-loss slate of 14-3.
With an impressive victory, either man could find himself a step closer to the available BRAVE CF Super Welterweight World Championship.
Gadzhimusa Gaziev vs. Issa Isakov
Another Russian who will be proudly donning the nation’s colors on November 6th is Gadzhimusa “Deadshot” Gadzhiev, who locks horns with Belgian standout Issa Isakov.
Gadzhiev has been part of the organization’s roster since its inaugural event in 2016, winning four of his last eight outings—with all victories coming by way of stoppage.
Fresh from a third-round knockout triumph against Geraldo Neto at BRAVE CF 49: Super Fights, another victory could put him in line for a shot at Eldar Eldarov’s BRAVE CF Super Lightweight World Championship.
However, it will not be a walk in the park as Isakov presents a stern test for the Russian hard-hitter. The Belgian—who holds a professional record 8-3, possesses an 88-percent finishing rate.
Kamil Magomedov vs. Sam Patterson
Sam “The Future” Patterson looks to sustain his winning groove that he established since 2018 by taking on Kamil Magomev at BRAVE CF 55.
Patterson is riding high on a six-fight win streak–three of those victories took place inside the BRAVE CF cage.
Most recently, the Englishman elevated himself to a potential contender by outpointing Ylies “Tupek” Djiroun at BRAVE CF 51 last June.
Patterson believes that he has a business to settle with BRAVE CF Lightweight World Champion Ahmed “The Butcher” Amir as their first encounter in April 2019 ended in an anticlimactic draw.
However, Patterson must get past Magomedov first. The Russian possesses a 14-1 slate and has not tasted defeat since 2017.
Magomedov poses to be a tall order for Patterson, and a victory over the red-hot English fighter could put him in pole position to face Amir.
