Eldar Eldarov, Pasha Kharkhachaev, Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa (©BRAVE Combat Federation)

BRAVE Combat Federation’s debut event in Russia just received a monumental addition to its fight card. The Bahrain-based mixed martial arts promotion will hold “BRAVE CF 46” at the WOW Arena at the Krasnaya Polyana zone on January 16, 2021 in partnership with Krepost Selection.

The card is headlined by a title bout in which Super Lightweight Champion Eldar Eldarov puts his belt on the line against Leonardo Mafra. The co-main event features MMA legend Ali Bagautinov who will fight Oleg Lichkovakha.

Russian stars such as Konstantin Erokhin and Roman Bogatov are also confirmed for action. One of the biggest names coming out of Kalmykia, Russia, Bair Shtepin will look for win number two under the BRAVE CF banner when he meets promotional newcomer Alexander Keshtov.

Shtepin has the chance to build on his outstanding BRAVE CF debut next month when he faces his compatriot. The Bars MMA representative demolished his opponent Gerson Pereira in the very first round of “BRAVE CF 44.”

The fight showcased the best of Shtepin with him being an exciting, flashy and decisive fighter. He was able to dominate the lone round of the fight and end the bout with a spinning-back kick to the body.

Seven of Shtepin;s nine victories were finishes. Five of them were KO/TKOs and two were submissions.

Keshtov presents a major challenge to any bantamweight in the world. With only one loss in his 10 professional fights, he  has one of the most underrated fight teams behind him, Murat Keshtov’s K-Dojo. He trains alongside the likes of KHK Open Weight world champion Azamat Murzakanov and Rustam Chsiev, who will also be in action at “BRAVE CF 46.”

Another fight to watch out for is the duel between  Abdysalam Uulu Kubanychbek of Kyrgyzstan and Jahongir Saidjamolov of Tajikistan. The Kyrgyzstani star is one of the biggest rising stars in the Asian MMA scene.

Kubanychbek first rose to prominence following a run at the WEF Global title. He joined the BRAVE CF roster during the co-promoted event between both organizations and earned himself a long-term contract with an amazing performance.

At BRAVE CF 45, Kubanychbek showcased why Kyrgyzstan is a rising force within the MMA world. Showing the patience of a veteran and the ruthlessness of a young wolf, he ran through Vagif Askerov to get his second BRAVE CF win.

After the fight, Kubanychbek called out recently crowned BRAVE CF Lightweight World Champion Amin Ayoub. However, before the Kyrgyzstani MMA fighter can think about a title shot, another massive force stands in front of him.

Saidjamolov is another fighter on the rise. He will get the chance to represent Tajikistan in a worldwide platform, a country that has been paying much more attention to the development of the sport in recent years.

A match between Saygidgusein Surkhaev of Russia and Erkinbai Abdusalamov of Kyrgyzstan will be the opening bout for the prelims. When the Russian contender made his professional MMA debut in 2018, he defeated Andrey Denisov and has not fought since the victory while Abdusalamov will make his professional MMA debut at “BRAVE CF 46.”

Another bout in the prelims is between Khunkar-Pasha Osmaev and Yuriy Verenitsen. Hailing from Chechnya and fighting out of Akhmat Fight Club, the former has four finishes to his name from his nine wins.

Verenitsen has a record of four wins and two losses. All his wins have been stoppage victories. Here is the complete “BRAVE CF 46” fight card along with the contenders’ respective professional MMA records:

• Super Lightweight – Eldar Eldarov (12-1) vs Leonardo Mafra (15-5)
• Catchweight (59.5kg) – Ali Bagautinov (18-7) vs Oleg Lichkovakha (15-4-0, 2 NC)
• Catchweight (67 kg) – Roman Bogatov (10-1) vs Nurzhan Akishev (11-1)
• Heavyweight – Konstantin Erokhin (9-4) vs Zhyrgalbek Chomonov (8-1)
• Catchweight (71kg) – Abdisalam Kubanychbek (16-3) vs Jahongir Saidjamolov (14-4)
• Middleweight – Gamzat Khiramagomedov (9-1) vs Rustam Chsiev (3-2)
• Catchweight (68 kg) – Magomed Absudalamov (6-0) vs Andrey Lezhnev (19-9)
• Bantamweight – Bair Stehpin (9-3) vs Alexander Keshtov (9-1)
• Super Lightweight – Khunkar-Pasha Osmaev (9-6-1) vs Yuriy Verenitsen (4-2)
• Catchweight (90 kg) – Murtaza Talha (1-0) vs Dmitriy Krivulets (3-1)
• Lightweight – Murad Bilarov (3-1) vs Fedor Babich (4-4)
• Super Lightweight – Said Surkhaev (1-0) vs Erkinbai Abdusalamov (0-0)