Brave Combat Federation
A global MMA promotion based in Bahrain.
BRAVE Combat Federation is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Bahrain, established on 23 September 2016 by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The organization features fighters from more than 80 nations across five continents and airs events through multiple media partners including El Rey Network, Combate, Myx TV, S+A ESPN 5, and Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation. In 2023, it set a new record for an MMA promotion by hosting events in 38 nations worldwide.
Quick Facts
- Founder
- Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa
- President
- Mohammed Shahid
- Headquarters
- Seef
- Sport
- Mixed martial arts
- Country
- Bahrain
- Founded
- 2016
Facts from the source article.
History
BRAVE Combat Federation was established under KHK MMA, a Bahrain-based organization that promotes mixed martial arts in the region. KHK MMA Fight Team featured fighters from multiple promotions including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Frankie Edgar, Jose Torres, and James Gallagher, with coaches such as Renzo Gracie, John Kavanagh, Bob Schirmer, and Pete Williams. The promotion held its inaugural event, Brave 1: The Beginning, in Isa Town, Bahrain, on September 23, 2016, coinciding with Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa's birthday. During its initial phase, BRAVE CF expanded into markets including Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, positioning itself as a promotion focused on global talent development. It also hosted the first-ever International Combat Week in partnership with the IMMAF. Between 2018 and 2021, BRAVE CF accelerated international growth by hosting events across Europe, Asia, and Africa, entering markets such as Northern Ireland, Morocco, and Kazakhstan. The promotion emphasized partnerships with local organizations and regulatory bodies to develop MMA ecosystems. This period saw increased athlete diversity and featured former UFC champion Frankie Edgar as a color commentator, as well as MMA legend Wanderlei Silva as a BRAVE ambassador. BRAVE Combat Federation became the first global MMA promotion to host an event in Africa with BRAVE 14 in Tangier, Morocco, on August 18, under the patronage of King Mohammed VI. In 2020, it hosted its first show in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in partnership with WFC. The organization announced BRAVE CF 35 (Brazil), BRAVE CF 36 (Romania), and BRAVE CF 37 (Sweden), but these were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. BRAVE CF returned in July with BRAVE CF 35 and BRAVE CF 36 in Romania in closed venues, continuing its expansion strategy in Europe and Asia.
Broadcast
The BRAVE Combat Federation broadcast team includes Phil Campbell, Kirik Jenness, and Carlos Kremer. Kremer has served as the promotion’s official cage announcer since BRAVE CF 1 and was inducted into the BRAVE CF Hall of Fame during BRAVE CF 100, becoming the first cage announcer to receive this honor. Philip Laurence Campbell, born 9 October 1988, is an Irish broadcaster and former combat sports athlete who serves as a color commentator. He was raised in Larne, County Antrim, and educated at Garron Tower College before earning a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Ulster. Prior to broadcasting, he became an Irish National MMA Champion and an Irish National Bare-Knuckle Boxing Champion. Kirik Jenness, a long-time figure in the global MMA community, joined as an analyst. He is known as the official keeper of MMA records under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act in the United States and has provided expert commentary in more than 30 countries. In 2022, he received the World MMA Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. Other broadcast personnel include Cyrus Fees (play-by-play), Frankie Edgar, Nate Quarry, Alex Soto, and Cris Cyborg as guest commentator.
BRAVE TV & BRAVE Films
BRAVE Combat Federation announced the launch of BRAVE TV, an online subscription service allowing fans to watch live events and reruns of old shows. BRAVE 23 was available on this platform to fans worldwide except in territories with preexisting TV deals. The promotion also initiated operations of a subsidiary film production unit called BRAVE Films. Its first production was the television documentary-drama "SMILE," released on 26 June during Eid. The short film narrates the story of the BRAVE Combat Federation featherweight champion and his training leading to a championship bout, with footage shot in Montpellier, France; Tijuana, Mexico; Bahrain; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In 2024, BRAVE CF produced two documentaries: "The Untold Story Hamza Kooheji," focusing on Bahraini fighter Hamza Kooheji, and "Beyond the UFC: An Inside Look at BRAVE CF 91," directed by MMA filmmaker Will Harris, providing a behind-the-scenes perspective on Muhammad Mokaev's return to BRAVE CF at BRAVE CF 91 and his training at KHK MMA.
BRAVE International Combat Week
In early 2017, KHK MMA and the IMMAF agreed to relocate the Amateur World Championships from Las Vegas to Bahrain for the first time. BRAVE president Mohammed "The Hawk" Shahid then confirmed the promotion would stage an event during the same week as the championships. That November, the inaugural International Combat Week ran from the 12th to the 19th, with BRAVE 9 on the 17th featuring two title bouts. Bahrain also hosted the amateur world titles in both 2018 and 2019.
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