Former Brave CF lightweight champion Lucas Martins will return to the Brave CF cage after more than a year, and already the Brazilian has intimated his plans after calling out the promotion’s current undisputed champion Abdisalam Kubanychbek on social media.
Martins will face France’s Ylies Djiroun on September 7 in Nantes, France, in the main event of Brave CF 74 – an event held in association with leading regional organization Hexagone MMA.
Martins will again step into the fastest-growing MMA arena after knocking out his compatriot Henrique Marques in the first round of their Brave CF 60 matchup in Isa Town, Bahrain, in July last year. The Brazilian superstar aims to make light work of Djiroun before making a quick turnaround in the 155-pound division as he zooms in on Kyrgyzstan’s first-ever Brave CF champion, with eyes on a championship fight in November.
“I know there is a champion waiting, and I don’t want to wait that long for my next fight as it’s been a year since I last fought. So if I win this fight, I want to fight for the title again soon,” said Martins.
“I believe Brave Combat Federation plans to host a big event in Bahrain in November again, so after this fight, I will come back home to Brazil and get right back into training and prepare for the championship.
“I might not know how to say his name properly, I think it’s Kubanych or Kubanychbek, is that right? Regardless, make no mistake, I have respect for him, he is a great fighter, but he has not been tested like I have before, nor has he faced someone like me yet. I am the biggest challenge of his career.
“Brave Combat Federation knows that if I win this fight, I have to fight for the belt and get the title once again.”
The former champion was set to face fellow ex-titleholder Amin Ayoub before the latter had to pull out. Djiroun steps in and will be hungry to make a big statement in his backyard when France becomes the 29th nation to host a Brave CF event.
In the co-main event, rising star of French MMA and former amateur standout Axel Sola takes on Ukraine’s four-time combat sambo world champion Vladyslav Rudniev in a bout that could give an early indication of a future championship challenger at 155 pounds.
Also set for action is an explosive heavyweight clash, as France’s Salim El Oussaidi puts his six-fight unbeaten streak on the line in his Brave CF debut when he takes on Lithuanian knockout artist Pavel Dailidko.
Opening up the main card will be an explosive Super Welterweight match-up as DRC’s viral star Eliezer ‘’King Kong’’ Kubanza steps into the BRAVE CF cage for the second time to fight France’s Levy Carriel.
Partner promotion Hexagone MMA will hold its latest card, Hexagone MMA 11, on the preliminary card of the evening, with six bouts set to take place, including the featured preliminary card matchup and Hexagone MMA 11’s main event, as France’s Laid Zerhouni and Brazil’s Alessandro Macedo battle it out for the Hexagone MMA middleweight title.
Brave CF 74/Hexagone MMA 11: Confirmed fight card
MAIN CARD: (BRAVE CF 74)
- Lucas Martins vs. Ylies Djiroun
- Axel Sola vs. Vladyslav Rudniev
- Salim El Oussaidi vs. Pavel Dailidko
- Ali Guliyev vs. Borislav Nikolic
- Eliezer Kubanza vs. Levy Carriel
PRELIMINARY CARD (HEXAGONE MMA 11)
- Laid Zerhouni vs. Alessandro Macedo – for Hexagone MMA middleweight title
- Chabane Chaibeddra vs. Bruno Conti
- Gergely Csibi vs. Nacim Belhouachi
- Thomas Glot vs. Quentin Domergue
- Tamerlan Albiekov vs. Jindrich Ungr
- Didier Tourr vs. Anthony Morel