BRAVE CF 82 Results: Nkosi Ndebele successfully defends title in historic trilogy bout

23 May 2024

BRAVE Combat Federation's inaugural event in Mauritius took place at the Cote d'Or National Sports Complex on Saturday, May 11, providing an action-packed evening for MMA fans. As the world's most global MMA organization, BRAVE CF showcased top-tier talent and competitive matchups.

In the main event, Nkosi Ndebele successfully defended his BRAVE CF Bantamweight World title with a unanimous decision victory over Jose 'Shorty' Torres after five intense rounds. The bout began evenly, but Ndebele gained momentum in the second round, using his reach advantage to land significant strikes. A powerful blow dropped Torres, though Ndebele was unable to finish the fight before the round concluded. The third round mirrored the second, with Ndebele's striking dominating Torres. Despite a strong submission attempt by Torres late in the third round, Ndebele maintained control. The fourth round saw Torres achieve a notable takedown, setting up a competitive final round where both fighters had their moments. Ndebele's victory made him the first African World Champion to defend his title on African soil.

The co-main event featured Nicholas Hwende, who moved closer to the Bantamweight title with a decision win over Khurshed Nazarov, making his promotional debut. Both fighters demonstrated their grappling skills in the first round, with Nazarov gaining the upper hand in the second. However, Hwende turned the tide by dropping Nazarov and ending the round strongly, despite a late submission attempt from Nazarov. In the third round, Hwende capitalized on a failed submission attempt from Nazarov and dominated to secure the judges' decision.

BRAVE CF veteran Ylies Djiroun showcased his expertise with a first-round submission victory over Ananias Mulumba. Despite being dropped early in the fight, Djiroun's experience and submission skills led him to a quick win. Post-fight, Djiroun called for a spot on the upcoming BRAVE CF card in France and encouraged more frequent events in his home country.

A highly anticipated bout between Eliezer Kubanza and Karim Rabei was cancelled due to Rabei falling ill on fight night. Kubanza expressed his disappointment but hinted at a future matchup with the winner of the BRAVE CF 83 main event between Alex Lohore and Marcin Bandel in the Netherlands.

In the opening bout, Ramazan Gitinov made a decisive statement by submitting Prince Lolia in the first round. Gitinov secured a takedown within the first minute and finished the fight with an arm triangle submission, maintaining his undefeated professional record. Following his victory, Gitinov issued a challenge to BRAVE CF Lightweight champion Abdisalam Kubanychbek.

BRAVE CF 82 marked the organization's second event of 2024 and its fourth on the African continent. The event reinforced BRAVE Combat Federation's status as the leading international MMA organization to host events in Africa, further expanding its global reach.

BRAVE CF 82 Results:

• Bantamweight title: Nkosi Ndebele def. Jose Torres via unanimous decision
• Bantamweight: Nicholas Hwende def. Khurshed Nazarov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Featherweight: Ylies Djiroun def. Ananias Mulumba via submission (guillotine) - 1m39s - Round 1
• Lightweight: Ramazan Gitinov def. Prince Lolia via submission (arm-triangle choke) - 1m35s - Round 1

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