BRAVE Combat Federation fans are in for a treat in the main event of BRAVE CF 72, which takes places this Friday, in Riffa, Bahrain.
In the headline fight of the night, featherweight title holder Roman Bogatov takes on top rival Nemat Abdrashitov in a main event clash that has fans tearing into a debate of grappler vs. striker.
But more than the usual clash of styles, this is a fight that will see the relentless force that is Bogatov’s cardio and wrestling come up against the raw power of Abdrashitov’s right hand.
But it was not always like that for the challenger, who comes from a wrestling background - and never imagined a becoming a knockout specialist. That is, until he knocked someone out for the first time.
‘’I began my career through wrestling, so I never tried to knock people out. But as I started to develop my overall MMA game, I got suspicious. People were falling down in training and I knew that maybe I had some power in my hands. But in 2016, I got my first KO, and then it all made sense. I started trusting my hand and I know I can knock anyone out, including Roman Bogatov’’, said Abdrashitov, who has three violent knockouts in three BRAVE CF outings and will look to become the second Kyrgyz world champion in BRAVE CF history, following teammate Abdisalam Kubanychbek.
Abdrashitov's coach Eric Voinov has revealed that he is the hardest hitter in the Kyrgyzstan MMA scene and has ‘’sledgehammers’’ for hands as he puts the finishing touches to his pupil’s preparation.
‘’Nemat hits very hard and we found that naturally, with time. He’s the hardest hitter. My mitts go crazy with him. He’s like a sledgehammer’’.