By Jun Ray Navarres
Filipino superstar Rolando Dy’s home promotion, BRAVE Combat Federation has been selected as the Global Promotion of the Year by FightBook MMA after earning noteworthy recognition in handling the new normal.
In its 6th showcase of the awards, FightBook MMA undoubtedly chose BRAVE CF as the grand winner for the fourth straight year and Dy was proudest of his promotion’s achievements.
“It’s no surprise to me that BRAVE CF won the award. In 2020, they’re one of the few promotions in the world that dared to take the first step and brought hope to fighters like me who were exploring different means to survive during the pandemic. That’s truly commendable,” Dy exclaimed.
The coronavirus pandemic struck the world last year where everything was put on a halt but the Bahrain-based promotion turned into an isolated fight hub dubbed as “Kombat Kingdom” to host five of their 12 shows.
Moreover, BRAVE CF came to the rescue of the struggling European MMA scene by staging six cards in six weeks behind closed doors.
2020 also witnessed the coronation of new world champions such as Amin Ayoub at lightweight and Mohammad Fakhreddine at middleweight and the emergence of title contenders such as Dy, Muhammad Mokaev, Mochamed Machaev and Benoit Saint Denis, establishing themselves in their respective divisions.
BRAVE CF also paved the way for Dy’s resurgence after notching the coveted 2020 BRAVE CF Fighter of the Year Award with two remarkable victories after moving up to lightweight.
“The Incredible” faced no hesitation in extending his contract with the MMA outfit.
“They treat fighters with respect, and that’s very important to us. I am grateful to be part of this promotion and for the opportunity they gave me last year,” Dy stated. “They can count on me that I will represent the promotion to the best of my ability.”
BRAVE CF was founded by His Highness Shaikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa in 2016 and has been producing world-class talents ever-since. In its latest showcase in Sochi, Russia Eldar Eldarov successfully defended his super lightweight title against Leonardo Mafra in the headliner.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @burnsports
