Saturday will see Brave Combat Federation host the biggest title fight in the promotion’s history when champion Nkosi Ndebele takes on former champ Jose “Shorty” Torres in a bantamweight title trilogy bout at Brave CF 82 in Mauritius.
The matchup tops a fight card that showcases some of Brave’s top up-and-coming talent as the organisation continues its globetrotting 2024 schedule with an event in Africa.
After the official weigh-ins, I caught up with the three voices of Brave CF – play-by-play commentator Phil Campbell, colour commentator and MMA media doyen Kirik Jenness, and cage announcer Carlos Kremer – to get their views on the men to watch in Mauritius this weekend.
Jenness, founder of The Underground, the legendary forum that is credited with being the birthplace of MMA fandom online, has been involved in MMA from long before sport’s explosion into the mainstream, and there isn’t much he hasn’t seen during his career.
Chatting ahead of fight night in Mauritius, he explained his fascination with what he sees as the key factor in play in the main event, as Ndebele takes on Torres in their bantamweight title trilogy bout.
Brave CF
Steer clear of ‘The Runway’
“That outcome of that fight is going to hinge on one single thing – the space behind Ndebele,” he told me.
“I call it ‘The Runway’. It’s the border between the centre of the cage and the fence. If Nkosi steps into about a metre and a half of that fence, he’s going to take a ride on ‘Shorty Airways’.
“In no small way, this entire fight hinges on just that – that nearly invisible space. Most fight fans don’t know it even exists. But this fight is going to hinge on that one simple, single thing.
“Can Nkosi Ndebele keep out of that dangerous runway about a metre and a half from the edge of the fence? If he can’t, he’ll take a ride and ‘Shorty’ will take him down. If he can, Torres is going to leave bloodied and broken.”
The trilogy bout has attracted the lion’s share of attention ahead of fight night in Mauritius, but the co-main event also has high stakes for the promotion’s 135-pound division, as play-by-play man Campbell told me.
Brave CF
Who’ll be next at 135?
“The co-main event is a fight that has also serious implications in the landscape of the bantamweight division,” he explained.
“We have Nicholas Hwende, 7-1 as a professional, taking on Khurshed Nazarov. Yes, he is 9-0 with one no contest. However, he has not stepped foot inside a cage in three and a half years.
“But let’s take a look at his background. You’re talking about a fighter who’s not only a Tajikistan national combat sambo champion, he is an all-Asia combat sambo champion, and a world combat sambo champion.”
Campbell also offered his take on the deciding factor in the matchup, as South Africa’s Hwende faces a master of the grappling arts in Nazarov
“For my money, the most telling element of this fight will not be the first round, or the first minute, but it will be the first clinch,” he offered.
“Can Hwende defend the clinch, can he maintain the distance, or what will happen when Nazarov gets his hands on him? There’s only one way to find out.
“We could potentially be looking at the winner of this fight becoming the number one contender in the bantamweight division.”
Brave CF
An African phenom
Joining Campbell and Jenness as the third “voice of Brave” is “The Roaring Lion” Carlos Kremer, whose high-energy presence as the promotion’s cage announcer ensures the fighters always get a great reception from the fans.
When asked to pick out one fighter to watch outside of the top two fights, he had no hesistation in naming Congolese welterweight Eliezer “King Kong” Kubanza, a former IMMAF African champion who looks to have a big future with Brave CF.
“Eliezer is one of the scariest individuals on the planet – indeed, the most frightening fighter Brave CF has – and he is something to see,” said Kremer.
“If you haven’t seen this man fight, he’s an incredible phenom who has dismantled every opponent he has ever faced as a pro to build his career to 5-0 so far.
“He’s such a beast in his gym, Soma Fight Club in Bali, he’s only allowed to spar with light heavyweights and above, because this man is so dangerous that he is knocking everyone out.”
Brave CF
Going global
The show is also an important one for Brave CF’s continued global expansion as the organisation, led by president Mohammed Shahid, looks to demonstrate why it calls itself the most international promotion in the sport.
“In the scope of global MMA, this is huge,” explained Campbell.
“Because this weekend Brave CF is planting its flag in its 31st country, which I believe is a global record. That is more than the UFC, more than KSW, more than any alleged global promotion.
“Not only that, but when we go to the Netherlands on May 25, that will be the 14th European destination that Brave CF has visited. Once again, that’s more than any other alleged global MMA promotion, and once again shows why Brave Combat Federation is the world’s only truly global MMA promotion.”
Campbell and Jenness will be on the call from cageside in Mauritius, while Kremer will present the show as the master of ceremonies inside the cage.
Brave CF 82: Official weigh-in results
(Weights listed in kilos)
- Nkosi Ndebele (61.05) vs. Jose Torres (61.15) – for bantamweight title
- Nicholas Hwende (61.4) vs. Khurshed Nazarov (61.2)
- Ylies Djiroun (66.1) vs. Ananias Mulumba (65.7)
- Eliezer Kubanza (79.1) vs. Karim Rabei (82.85*)
- Ramazan Gitinov (70.2) vs. Prince Lolia (69.8)
* Fighter missed weight, forfeits 30 percent of his purse to his opponent
