Brave CF featherweight champion Roman Bogatov has kept his counsel during the build-up to fight night at Brave CF 72, but that all changed during fight week in Bahrain as he declared himself a class above the rest of the promotion’s 145-pound division.
Bogatov will look to make a successful first defense of his title in the main event on Friday night as he takes on top contender Nemat Abdrashitov, and the Russian champion said the challenger wasn’t up to his standard.
“You know, Nemat is a very good fighter,” he stated.
“I have studied him well, I know his strengths and weaknesses. I have to take care of his striking, but he’s not on my level.
“I wish him good health, and hopefully he can make it to the cage on Friday night. But this will be a losing effort for him, I am sure of it.”
The uber-confident Bogatov also had words for the man who just booked himself a shot against Friday’s main event winner. Omar Solomanov claimed a hard-earned victory at Brave CF 71 to defeat Ilyar Askhanov and put himself next in line for a title shot.
“The day after Brave CF 71 I saw him hitting mitts and training,” said Bogatov.
“This means he’s already training for the title fight, which is the right mentality to have. But this won’t matter to him. I am also ready mentally to defend at Brave CF 72 and then beat him.”
Bogatov’s title fight with Abdrashitov headlines an eight-fight card in Riffa, Bahrain that features athletes from 11 different nationalities.
Brave CF 72: Confirmed fight card
MAIN CARD
- Roman Bogatov vs. Nemat Abdrashitov
- Muhammad Idrisov vs. Bidzina Gavashelishvili
- Yanis Ghemmouri vs. Mehmosh Raza
- Ylies Djiroun vs. Olzhas Eskaraev
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Eliezer Kubanza vs. Rayan Atmani
- Rasul Magomedov vs. Mohamed Hisham Baraka
- Mohsen Mohammadseifi vs. Noor El Islam
- Mohammed Alsameea vs. Ibrahim Hassan