MMA – Las Vegas is seen as one of the top cities for combat sports, and to headline a fight card there is a dream for any fighter, from boxers to mixed martial artists. And for the first time ever, a Bahraini fighter will have the opportunity to be the main name of an event in the American city, thanks to the vision of Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, Bahrain Olympic Committee president and BRAVE Combat Federation founder Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Shamil Gaziev has represented Bahrain for more than seven years now, and has gone through all the steps of KHK MMA, from an amateur fighter to a professional fighter and now a global superstar. He will face Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the main event of UFC Fight Night, tonight, in Las Vegas, US.
The heavyweight undefeated MMA fighter is just the latest man to benefit from a programme created through the vision of Shaikh Khalid.
KHK MMA started in 2015 as a team that supported careers of fighters everywhere, with the goal of creating a new structure for the sport, which eventually materialised itself into BRAVE CF, an organisation created to change mixed martial arts worldwide and take the kingdom to the highest places in sports.
As part of that programme, Gaziev started off as an amateur, representing Bahrain in several IMMAF competitions. It was clear that he would become a successful professional fighter from the start, as his pace, strength and tenacity made him a nightmare match-up between the bigger heavyweight fighters.
Representing Bahrain, Gaziev won three gold medals, becoming African, European, and Asian champion all in 2019. He also earned a bronze medal in the World Championships, at home, in Khalifa Sports City Arena.
After that, he started his professional career, showcasing improved skills and even more power to his hands. He won his first eight fights, going to a decision only once, which means he won seven out of eight fights with KO’s or submissions.
He then signed for BRAVE CF, which provided him with top opponents and a global platform to showcase his work. Through his two BRAVE CF fights, Gaziev became a household name for MMA fans everywhere, knocking out his two opponents.
Tonight, in Las Vegas, the flag of Bahrain will fly high and Gaziev will have the whole support of the island to show that the development programme created by Shaikh Khalid is the way forward for mixed martial arts.
&uuid=(email))