INDONESIAN MMA fans were rewarded for their unwavering support of mixed martial arts when BRAVE CF 66 played out in the South-East Asian nation yesterday.
A spectacle of ten fights showcased BRAVE Combat Federation’s international reach as 20 fighters from across the world stepped into the cage in the picturesque Bali province.
In the main event, South Africa’s Chad “Superman” Hanekom sent shockwaves around the world when he floored South Korea’s In Jae La with a vicious right elbow early in the first round of their Middleweight fight.
The first minute of the fight was just a feeling-out process as both athletes were finding their range and rhythm. At one point, they came close to a clinch, but it was clear that Hanekom was intent on building on his six stoppages when he pushed the South Korean away to create space before unleashing one of the most incredible elbow knockouts ever.
“Most people are speechless, my coaches and I have been practicing that for years. Working on instinct, spur-of-the-moment reactions, and just ticking boxes,” said the number-two ranked middleweight fighter.
When asked about his future aspirations, Hanekom said: “I’ve been on top of the division for a while now. I just came here to do a job and get the win, and I did it convincingly. That KO is going to send ripples around the world.”
In the co-main event, Kazakhstan’s Asu Almabaev defeated the Philippines’ Kenneth Maningat via submission (rear-naked choke) in the second round.
From the first bell, it was all Almabaev as he dominated his opponent with a grappling and wrestling clinic and had Maningat pinned early on. The Filipino fighter stayed active from the bottom, working and throwing upward strikes. Maningat – who took the fight on short notice – eventually got tired, allowing Almabaev to unleash top-heavy blows. In the second round, it was more of the same as the Kazakh continued his dominance, before locking in a rear-naked choke to cement his place at the top of the Flyweight division.
In the only Heavyweight fight of the night, the “Big Boys” did not disappoint with a blistering show as Australia’s Junior “The Juggernaut” Tafa finished Serbia’s Nicolas Djurdjevic via TKO (strikes) in the first round.
One of the most-anticipated fights in the BRAVE CF 66 card ended in disappointment as Mohammed Farhad and Ruel Panales fought to a No Contest. Farhad landed an unintentional kick to Panales’ groin, when the Filipino Bantamweight made the move to throw a kick of his own. Panales tried to fight on, but couldn’t and the bout was left without a winner.
The contest now returns home to Bahrain for BRAVE CF 67 – the penultimate show on the 2022 calendar – on December 12 before closing out the ground-breaking year with its final show in Dusseldorf, Germany for BRAVE CF 68 on December 17. For more information, visit www.bravecf.com