Over the last seven and a half years, BRAVE Combat Federation has helped foster a new era for mixed martial arts in the Middle East, and the next phase of this development will be the return of the most global organization in the world to the United Arab Emirates. In the last quarter of 2024, BRAVE CF will host its first event in Dubai, and the fighter community in MENA is already filled with buzz as fighters have started planning their year around being free to fight in November.
Former double world champion Mohammad Fakhreddine is one of them. ‘’The Latest’’ is set on unleashing an unprecedented assault on a third world title, as he eyes Super Welterweight titleholder Kamal Magomedov next. However, with the announcement of BRAVE CF Dubai, he has added to his plan: beat Kamal earlier in the year and then defend his 175-pound world title in the UAE.
‘’You know, the UAE is very special for me, so it would be icing on the cake to compete on the first BRAVE CF card in Dubai. I made my debut for BRAVE CF in the first card they did in Abu Dhabi, so to be able to come back as a world champion and defend my third title in Dubai would be such a big honor for me. I’m working really hard to get this fight and win the title, so now I feel like I have extra motivation to go after Kamal’’, said Fakhreddine.
Other athletes are as eager to make proper plans for Dubai as Fakhreddine. Such is the case for the likes of Ahmed Labban, who’s coming off a tough loss in his latest outing but wants to fight in Croatia before moving on to Dubai later in the year.
Training in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, Labban believes the timing is perfect for him to go on and fight in Croatia in September, where BRAVE CF will also be making its debut, and then turn around to feature on the Dubai card in November.
Jordan’s own Izzedine Al-Derbani is another man thirsty for a new fight, so while waiting for November might not be feasible for ‘’The Palestinian Samurai’’, he’ll also want his next fight to align with a good timetable for an eventual return to action in Dubai. Similarly for Bahraini fighters, who also have a huge fight night in December on home soil, the timing would have to be right for them to make the Dubai card.
Currently focused on making the USA Wrestling team for the Paris Olympics, Egypt’s Mahmoud Sebie also could be an addition to the Dubai card, which would marry well into his Olympic aspirations. Since the Paris Wrestling tournament is scheduled to end in the second week of August, a return to MMA in November sounds like a great plan for the one-time Olympian.
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