In the main event of the evening, Algerian light heavyweight contender Maalem showed that he’s still a factor in BRAVE’s 205-pound division with a third-round TKO finish to silence the crowd in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Maalem faced off against Bulgarian veteran Atanas Djambazov in a battle of light-heavyweight veterans, and in a gruelling encounter, it was Maalem’s gas tank that held up the best as he fought Djambazov to a near-standstill, then finished him on the ground with strikes to claim the 13th win of his career as he bounced back from his defeat to Erko Jun last time out.
Said Maalem gets a big TKO finish to keep his name in the title conversation at 205 pounds!#BRAVECF86 pic.twitter.com/5Pdj4tiID9
— BRAVE Combat Federation (@bravemmaf) August 24, 2024
Lohore delivers statement finish
The co-main event saw England-based French contender Alex Lohore deliver another spectacular performance as he finished Bulgarian finisher Jivko Stoimenov in the first round to put himself right in line for a shot at the BRAVE CF super-welterweight title.
Stoimenov came out fast and looked to throw heavy shots with Lohore, but it was the Frenchman’s striking that was more accurate and, after stinging the Bulgarian with a couple of strong strikes, Stoimenov took things to the mat.
Despite having his back on the canvas, Lohore remained the aggressor as he looked to work off his back, and eventually fought his way back to his feet, where the battle resumed once again.
And, with Stoimenov wildly pushing forward, Lohore’s superior striking paid dividends once again as he badly stunned Stoimenov with a huge uppercut that sent the local hero to the canvas. Despite Stoimenov being turtled up and not responding, and despite Lohore motioning to the official that his opponent should take no more punishment, the referee allowed the action to continue, and seven more unnecessary shots were landed before the fight was finally stopped at the 4:03 mark.
Lethal from @PeakAlex once again!
He remains flawless under BRAVE CF! Two fights – two first-round KO’s!#BRAVECF86 pic.twitter.com/t0RUOs3W0q
— BRAVE Combat Federation (@bravemmaf) August 24, 2024
‘The Werewolf’ claims big finish
The night also saw a thrilling finish from Bulgarian fan-favourite Pavel Vladev. The fighter known as “The Werewolf” fought through some adversity as he found himself on the receiving end early against Germany’s Christian Mach, but as the bout wore on, Vladev’s intensity started to shine through, and when he escaped Mach’s back-mount and ended up on top, he punished his man with vicious ground strikes that eventually separated him from his consciousness.
WHAT A TURNAROUND FROM PAVEL!
Bulgaria wins again!#BRAVECF86 pic.twitter.com/SpvXvxTemt
— BRAVE Combat Federation (@bravemmaf) August 24, 2024
Maaev gets his revenge
The main card kicked off with a grudge match, as Khamzat Maaev claimed retribution in his bout with Antonio Bushev as he punished his foe for his “Khamzat Chimaev from AliExpress” comments and finished him in the first round.
Maaev was simply too much for Bushev to handle and, despite the Burgas crowd lending their support to the Bulgarian, Bushev wasn’t able to stem the tide as Maaev took his man to the mat and locked up a triangle choke to force the first-round submission finish.
Picture-perfect triangle choke by Khamzat Maaev!#BRAVECF86 pic.twitter.com/cC5FBApGUZ
— BRAVE Combat Federation (@bravemmaf) August 24, 2024
Preliminary card recap
The featured preliminary card matchup produced a popular victor as Bulgarian Rusi Minev claimed the fifth win of his pro MMA career with a unanimous decision victory over Greece’s Christos Tsirimokos.
Minev held sway through each of the three five-minute rounds to claim a shutout win on the scorecards, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27 to Minev, who celebrated wildly after claiming the biggest win of his career.
The preliminary card also saw a liver-kick finish by Germany’s Eduard Evdokimov, with the Planet Eater MMA product claiming an impressive third-round TKO victory over Brazil’s Gabriel Gilthon.
A lively matchup saw both men look to stand and trade on the feet, and it was Evdokimov’s left kick to the body that proved the decisive strike as his roundhouse kick landed perfectly into the liver of Gilthon and forced the Brazilian down to the mat, where a couple of follow-up shots were all that were needed to force the stoppage victory.
Lethal from Eduard Evodkimov! What a TKO!#BRAVECF86 pic.twitter.com/jwRNzP8VCR
— BRAVE Combat Federation (@bravemmaf) August 24, 2024
And in the opening bout, local boy Anton Yanchev had the Burgas crowd on their feet as he overcame a wild start to finish Patryk Krzak in the first round.
Krzak came flying out of the blocks at the beginning of Round 1 as he took Yanchev to the mat and looked to unload some heavy ground and pound. But, after Yanchev nullified his opponent and the action returned to the feet, the Bulgarian let fly with his hand and stung his man before the action went to the ground once again. This time it was Yanchev calling the shots, and he quickly took Krzak’s back, flattened him out, and locked up a rear-naked choke to get the victory at the 2:47 mark.
World-class technique from the hometown hero Anton Yanchev to make history for Bulgarian MMA under the brighest lights in mixed martial arts!
What a win for the Lightweight phenom!#BRAVECF86 pic.twitter.com/z4Rcxa1rcZ
— BRAVE Combat Federation (@bravemmaf) August 24, 2024
BRAVE CF 86: Official fight card
MAIN CARD
- Mohamed Said Maalem def. Atanas Djambazov via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:15
- Alex Lohore def. Jivko Stoimenov via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:03
- Pavel Vladev def. Christian Mach via knockout (ground strikes) – Round 2, 4:50
- Khamzat Maaev def. Antonio Bushev via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 1:50
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Rusi Minev def. Christos Tsirimokos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Eduard Evdokimov def. Gabriel Gilthon via TKO (body kick and punches) – Round 3, 2:59
- Anton Yanchev def. Patryk Krzak via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:47
