Nearly two weeks ago, Nicholas “The Saint” Hwende added another milestone to his career and BRAVE Combat Federation history.
At BRAVE CF 105 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on May 31, the Zimbabwean submitted interim titleholder Omar “Cobra” Solomanov in the fifth round to become the undisputed BRAVE CF Featherweight World Champion.
The victory made Hwende one of a select group of athletes to capture world titles in two different weight divisions under the BRAVE CF banner.
After previously holding the bantamweight title, Hwende has found success since moving to featherweight, often citing the benefits of competing without the demanding weight cuts that marked his earlier career.
Now established at 145 pounds, the Zimbabwean champion has several potential options for his next move, ranging from title defenses and rematches to a possible move up in weight.
Rauan Bekbolat
Rauan “Shymyr” Bekbolat strengthened his case for a featherweight title opportunity at BRAVE CF 105.
The No. 2-ranked bantamweight contender submitted Sardor “Tiger” Khudoyberdiev with a first-round triangle choke in front of his home crowd in Kazakhstan.
Shortly after Hwende secured the featherweight championship, the two fighters met inside the BRAVE CF cage, fueling speculation about a potential title fight between them.
Omar Solomanov
A rematch with Omar Solomanov remains another possibility for Hwende.
Solomanov entered BRAVE CF 105 as the interim featherweight champion after defeating Rauan Bekbolat at BRAVE CF 98 in September 2025 to earn the opportunity to compete for the undisputed title.
The Ukrainian arrived with momentum and a growing reputation in the division, but Hwende submitted him to unify the championship.
Despite the loss, Solomanov remains among the division’s top contenders, and another strong performance could position him for a second meeting with the new champion.
Nemat Abdrashitov
Former BRAVE CF Featherweight World Champion Nemat “Eagle” Abdrashitov also represents a notable option.
The Kyrgyz fighter won the featherweight title at BRAVE CF 72 in June 2023 and became one of the division’s most prominent champions.
Although Abdrashitov no longer holds the belt, he never lost the championship inside the cage.
A matchup between Hwende and Abdrashitov would pit the current champion against the division’s last reigning titleholder and could help settle questions surrounding the featherweight lineage.
Borislav Nikolić
A return to bantamweight could lead Hwende back to Borislav “Zombee” Nikolić.
At BRAVE CF 96 in June 2025, Nikolić submitted Hwende with a fourth-round ninja choke to win the BRAVE CF Bantamweight World Championship.
The result ended Hwende’s reign at 135 pounds and marked one of the biggest victories of Nikolić’s career.
Since then, Hwende has gone on to become a two-division champion, while Nikolić has continued his run as bantamweight titleholder.
A rematch would revisit a pivotal chapter in Hwende’s career and renew one of the promotion’s most significant recent rivalries.
Lightweight
A move to lightweight could provide Hwende with his most ambitious challenge yet.
Following his featherweight title victory, the Zimbabwean suggested the possibility of competing at 155 pounds.
Hwende is already only the second fighter in BRAVE CF history to win world titles in two weight classes. A successful run at lightweight could put him in position to pursue an unprecedented third championship in a different division.
The lightweight division is led by champion Abdisalam “Omok” Kubanychbek and interim champion Rauli Tutarauli, with contenders such as Ramazan Gitinov and Owais Yaqoobi also in the mix.
Whether Hwende chooses to defend his featherweight crown, revisit past rivalries or move up in weight, his next decision is expected to shape the next chapter of his career as one of Africa’s most accomplished mixed martial artists.
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