KSW 91: Valeriu Mircea subs Leo Brichta for interim lightweight title

Moldova’s “Solitary Wolf” Valeriu Mircea captured the biggest title of his career when he picked up the interim lightweight title at KSW 91.

Mircea submitted Czech contender Leo Brichta in the fourth round of their five-round championship main event matchup in Liberec, Czech Republic to claim the 30th win, and the 13th submission, of his veteran MMA career.

The 30-year-old had previously competed for a host of promotions, including stints with Bellator and Brave CF, before signing with KSW in 2022.

A first-round loss on his debut aside, Mircea has been outstanding under the KSW banner, with first-round TKO finishes of Gracjan Szadzinski and Borys Mankowski, plus a hard-won split-decision win over Roman Szymanski, putting him in line for a shot at the vacant interim 155-pound strap.

Against Brichta, Mircea was facing off against an opponent who hadn’t tasted defeat since 2019, and had built an impressive nine-fight MMA win streak (12 fights if you include striking-rules matchups) during that period.

But in a bout that went all the way to the championship rounds, it was Mircea’s finishing pedigree that came to the fore as he notched the 25th inside-the-distance win of his career to capture KSW gold.

KSW 91: Official results