Fifth BRAVE edition lands in India

Manama, Apr.17(BNA): Following the success of two international championships in Brazil and UAE, the Brave Combat Federation announced that the fifth edition of the BRAVE Championship will be held in Mumbai, India, on April 23 under the patronage of HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth, Honorary President of the Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation, founder of Khalid Bin Hamad Mixed Martial Arts Organisation (KHK MMA). The championship is a major step forward to promote the great harmony between sport, culture and economy between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Republic of India - a key partner to the Kingdom of Bahrain since the launch of this sport, with India being the main partner to KHK MMA Organization, as they helped to strengthen the infrastructure for MMA. This partnership was essential to Khalid Bin Hamad Mixed Martial Arts Organisation KHK MMA and the Kingdom of Bahrain, as India is one of the main supporters to amateur fighters globally. This culminated in the Kingdom of Bahrain winning many gold medals in international championships and earning the rights to host the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation 2017 World Amateur Championships. Mohammed Shahid, CEO of KHK MMA, confirmed that this solid foundation has led to the prosperity and emergence of the BRAVE Combat Federation, which is currently a platform that created economic opportunities, in addition to promoting sports and culture globally for both countries. He said: "All these efforts are part of the vision of HH Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the spirit of the Khalid Bin Hamad Mixed Martial Arts Organisation (KHK MMA) and BRAVE Combat Federation, resulting in the largest cultural transformation in the Kingdom of Bahrain's history." Brave Combat Federation's approach to the Indian market is very simple in its essence, although it required a lot of effort and prior work: bring international stars to India and open the stage for the Indian heroes to shine. The reason is simple. Before Brave 5, India had never witnessed a professional MMA bout as big as England's Carl "The Bomber" Booth vs Algeria's Tahar "Fast Hands" Hadbi, which will serve as the card's main event. Winner of Brave 2 main event in Bahrain, Carl Booth became an instant hit among the MMA community, due to his flashy style and powerful hands. The English striker is now eager to prove he is the real deal and ready to deliver another knockout. His opponent, Tahad Hadbi, is a Brave newcomer but a long-time Mixed Martial Arts veteran, with 19 professional bouts and 13 wins -- seven of which by the way of knockout. Hadbi has fought all over the world and won eight out his last nine fights. The co-main event of the evening is not less exciting and brings up India's national pride, pitting the two top names in the country fighting for the number one spot. The bout in question is Abdul Muneer vs Gurdarshan Mangat. Natural from the Southern state of Kerala, Abdul Muneer has been India's top fighter for a long time. A Brave veteran, with a fight against ex-UFC Masio Fullen in his record, Muneer now has opposition for the spotlights in Gurdarshan "St. Lion" Mangat. Living in Canada, Mangat took advantage of his geographical location to train with some of the best mixed martial artists in the world, like One Championship title holder Bibiano Fernandes, and UFC pound-for-pound kingpin Demetrious Johnson, and MMA legend Georges St. Pierre.