MMA – BRAZILIAN veteran Luciano Palhano stormed into hostile territory and rose above the odds, spoiling the much-awaited promotional debut of Serbian super welterweight Nikola Joksovic in the main event of BRAVE CF 104.
BRAVE Combat Federation (BRAVE CF) kicked off 2026 in outstanding fashion with the event, held in collaboration with the Serbian MMA Federation.
Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, came alive with 12 action-packed bouts, most of which concluded decisively, setting an exhilarating tone for the year ahead.
From the opening bell of his match, Palhano was in complete control, executing takedowns with ease, carrying out savage ground-and-pound, and advancing with submissions that quieted the passionate home crowd.
After three dominant rounds demonstrating his grappling mastery, Palhano garnered a clear-cut unanimous decision victory on the scorecards.
In the co-main event of the evening, number two-ranked heavyweight contender Miha Frlic made a strong case for a shot at divisional gold, dismantling Italy’s Samuele “Tank” Di Guardo in less than a round. The unbeaten Slovenian quickly floored Di Guardo with a shattering right cross to the chin. On the ground, Frlic maintained constant pressure with a heavy stream of strikes, prompting the referee to wave it off as he finished with a devastating flurry of elbows.
Reigning BRAVE CF bantamweight world champion Borislav Nikolic made a memorable homecoming, overpowering Portugal’s Matheus Malta in a 64kg catchweight showdown. The Serbian rising star faced a challenging start as Malta’s persistent takedowns tested him early. However, once Nikolic found his groove, he ravaged with a high volume of boxing combinations, culminating in a walk-off knockout in the second round to the delight of his compatriots in attendance.
Top-ranked lightweight contender Ramazan Gitinov had to battle every step of the way to get past Artur Arutyunyan. While the highly touted Bahraini exhibited his elite wrestling early on, Arutyunyan found his rhythm and targeted Gitinov’s vulnerability, delivering solid body shots both on the feet and on the ground in the second round. In the final moments, Gitinov regained leverage, taking Arutyunyan’s back and threatening with a rear-naked choke. In the end, Gitinov edged out his Armenian counterpart via split decision, claiming the favour of two of the three judges on the scorecards.
Bahrain’s Kurban Idrisov turned heads in his BRAVE CF debut, dispatching Belarusian veteran Artem Buloychik with authority in their 73kg catchweight duel. The Team KHK representative turned in a clinical performance, setting up the finish with a perfectly timed flying knee followed by a sharp high kick, then unleashing a barrage of hard punches along the cage fence that compelled the referee to intervene and call a halt to the action.
Serbia’s Jovan Leka sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a breathtaking display of power and precision in his maiden BRAVE CF appearance against fellow-heavyweight Charlie “Kung Fu Panda” Milner. From the opening bell, Leka dominated every exchange, dropping the British behemoth with a lightning-fast left hook. He then dished out a torrent of ground-and-pound before locking in a suffocating arm-triangle choke to author a spectacular win.
Germany’s Davlet Karataev registered his first victory under the BRAVE CF banner with a stoppage of number six-ranked super welterweight contender Jan Berus in a 77.6kg catchweight bout. The German hard-hitter showcased fluid movement and sharp precision, clobbering with a relentless mix of head and body attacks. A crushing body shot sent Berus collapsing to the mat, prompting Karataev to unload a volley of punches that left the referee with no other choice but to save the Slovenian from further damage.
Nina Nikolija “Queen Beast” Milosevic electrified the Serbian faithful with a dominant, well-rounded outing against Dina “Black Cat” Osman in their women’s bantamweight matchup. The hometown heroine set the tone early, repeatedly threatening her Egyptian opponent with multiple submission attempts in the opening round. Miloševic shifted gears in the following frames, torching Osman with rapid-fire combinations. She nearly authored a finish with a rear-naked choke in the third and final round, but ultimately sealed a unanimous decision victory after three commanding rounds.
BRAVE CF 104 FULL RESULTS
Super Welterweight Bout: Luciano Palhano def Nikola Joksovic via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-25) after three rounds
Heavyweight Bout: Miha Frlic def Samuele Di Guardo via TKO at 3:55 of round one
64kg Catchweight Bout: Borislav Nikolic def Matheus Malta via TKO at 3:22 of round two
Lightweight Bout: Ramazan Gitinov def Artur Arutyunyan via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) after three rounds
Heavyweight Bout: Jovan Leka def Charlie Milner via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:36 of round one
77.6kg Catchweight Bout: Davlet Karataev def Jan Berus via TKO at 4:49 of round one
Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Nina Nikolija Milosevic def Dina Osman via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) after three rounds
Heavyweight Bout: Genadi Jorjoliani def Danylo Voievodkin via TKO at 4:15 of round one
Super Lightweight Bout: Ognjen Micovic def Lucian Dragomir via submission (anaconda choke) at 1:51 of round one
73kg Catchweight Bout: Kurban Idrisov def Artem Buloychik via TKO at 2:11 of round one
Super Welterweight Bout: Nikola Todorovic def Constantin Cretu via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:18 of round one
54.12kg Catchweight Bout: Kinga Jendrasik def Suchika Tariyal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds
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