Amin Ayoub is a man on a mission. As the clock ticks down for his title fight against reigning BRAVE CF lightweight world champion Cleiton ‘Predator’ Silva, the preparation gets harder, but his eyes remain on the prize – the world title belt from the fastest-growing mixed martial arts organisation in the world.
The French-Tunisian athlete will take on Silva in the main event of BRAVE CF 44, which takes place on November 5, in Bahrain. To remind himself of the sacrifices he’s made to get to where he’s at, Ayoub keeps a photo of his future opponent in his room and looks at it every morning before training.
“I think about my opponent every day. I keep a photo of Cleiton in my room to never forget why I’m working so hard. When I wake up, I see his face. When I go to sleep, I see his face again. He’s in my head every day, every time, when I’m training I think about him, and that’s why I will win this fight. I’m very focused on this fight, on this opponent and that belt is for me,’’ says Amin, who predicts a third-round submission over the world champion.
“Cleiton is a long, tall fighter, he will come forward with everything in the beginning, but he won’t be able to sustain the same form. He will be tired very soon and I’ll capitalise on that. I think I’ll beat him in the third round, with a submission’’.
‘Fierceness’ has credentialed himself as a top contender with a series of six straight wins. In total, he has 14 professional victories against only four defeats. He has become a specialist in submitting his opponents, winning eight of 14 via tap-out. He hopes to make nine out of 15 against Cleiton, who is primarily known as a striker, but also possesses a good ground game and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.