Seef District — BRAVE Combat Federation has a collection of the world’s best mixed martial artists, and over 80 of them hail from 32 countries in Europe.
One of the proud European athletes on the organization’s active roster is Matiss Zaharovs, a blue-chip prospect from Aizkraukle, Latvia who holds a professional record of 4-1 with three wins by knockout and one via submission.
The Ryoshin Fight Team product vividly remembers the time when his agent approached and told him that he received a one-bout offer from BRAVE CF, which he didn't know at the time that it was based in Bahrain.
“I was really surprised that it was a Middle Eastern company. I was expecting a European promotion. When I found out more about the company, I was elated because it’s growing dramatically, very fast for an MMA company,” Zaharovs recalled.
Zaharovs made his maiden promotional appearance at BRAVE CF 29 in November 2019, where he checked Hussain Maki’s leg kick that shattered the latter’s shin en route to a first-round stoppage victory.
That scintillating performance permanently registered his name in BRAVE CF’s lineup of competitors, inking an exclusive multi-bout contract in the process.
Eight months later, he authored the perfect follow-up to his first win in the company, thwarting Swede debutant Bilal “Borz” Tipsaev on the undercard of BRAVE CF 36.
Zaharovs feels honored to carry the Latvian flag in an MMA outfit headquartered in the Middle East, which has recently bolstered its profile as a global promotion by hosting 50 live events in 21 different countries in just less than five years since its inception.
“I think I am the only Latvian fighter on the roster,” he said. “They are on a different level. They are so far ahead of everybody, in terms of running the show and the way that they look after the fighters. The list goes on pretty much.”
BRAVE CF will be breaking new ground on June 4th, adding Belarus to the long list of nations that the organization has visited through the years. In association with Rukh Sport Management, BRAVE CF 51: THE FUTURE IS HERE is set to emanate from the state-of-the-art Falcon Club Arena in the capital of Minsk.
With BRAVE CF’s strategic effort to extend its reach across Europe and unearth more talents in the continent, Zaharovs hopes that his fellow Latvians will be visible on the promotion’s radar soon.
“They have yet to do a show in Dublin, but I do agree that they are taking over Europe,” he stated. “They got pretty solid Europeans on the roster. I believe it won’t be too long before probably another one or two will get signed from Latvia.”
With several territories in the region still reeling from the crippling effects of the global health crisis, BRAVE CF 51: THE FUTURE IS HERE will assuredly open new doors of opportunities for European fighters looking to resume their MMA careers.