BRAVE Combat Federation’s first event of 2024, BRAVE CF 81 is in the books, as it delivered an action-packed night of fights in the sold-out Hala Tivoli Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia on Saturday, April 20 in association with WFC. It was a successful beginning for the company's 2024 European Tour, which will also visit the Netherlands, Croatia, France, and Germany.
The tour will be a momentous occasion for MMA in Europe, as BRAVE CF will become the most hosted organization in the continent. BRAVE CF 83, which takes place in Alkmaar, on May 25, will turn the Netherlands into the 14th nation to host BRAVE CF.
In the main event of the last night, at BRAVE CF 81, Erko Jun stopped Mohammed Said Maalem in the first round to secure a shot at the vacant Light Heavyweight title. Erko dropped Said with a huge right hand while moving backwards and proceeded to finish the fight with punches at the three-minute mark of the opening round. This is the second-straight first-round finish in BRAVE CF for Erko Jun who also extended his winning streak to five fights, setting the momentum perfectly for his next fight.
Christian Mach put on a grappling clinic in the co-main event as he secured a unanimous decision win over hometown favourite David Forster. Mach, who came into the fight in search of his first win in the organization after taking up the fight on a ten-day notice, dominated throughout the three rounds and gave no room for Forster to mount any significant offense or counter Mach's relentless pressure.
In the opening fight of the card, Gerard Burns made quick work of Danijel Spoljaric to secure his second straight first-round finish in BRAVE CF. Burns, who had plenty of support in the arena thanks to the Irish fans, made Spoljaric tap to strikes with just seconds to go in the first round. In his post-fight speech, Burns noted that he plans to capture the BRAVE CF Flyweight title.
Domen Drnovsek made a memorable professional MMA debut as he submitted 30-fight veteran Andrian Murug in the first round. Domen, who is known for his BJJ prowess, was looking for a submission from the start and after multiple attempts, he managed to make Murug tap with an armbar midway through the first round.
The Heavyweight showdown between Patryk Dubiela and Kasim Aras did not last long as some heavy shots from Dubiela made the referee step in and stop the fight within the first minute of the opening round.
Elsewhere, just like their staredown, the fight between Baki Sahin and Haris Aksalic proved to be a nail-biter. Turkish wrestling champion Sahin, who was making his BRAVE CF debut almost choked out Aksalic only to see the Slovenian escape the submission attempt and finish the fight with ground and pound.
Monika Kucinic’s rise towards becoming the next big star in European MMA continued at the event as she submitted Sofiia Bagishvili in the third round with an armbar. Interestingly, Sofiia almost got an armbar submission in the first round but failed to capitalize on her position and later paid the price for it. After the win, Monika called out Sabrina de Sousa in her post-fight speech.
Pavel Dailidko knocked out Valdrin Istrefi to secure his fourth straight finish in BRAVE Combat Federation. While the stoppage did not come in the first round like his last three fights, Pavel only needed a minute and a half in the second round at BRAVE CF 81 to stop Istrefi before calling for a title shot.
With only one fight going the distance, BRAVE CF 81 delivered plenty of action for the fans in attendance and around the world. The event will be followed by BRAVE CF 82 on May 11 in Mauritius. BRAVE CF is also scheduled to return to Slovenia in October. Here are the results of BRAVE CF 81 Slovenia.
BRAVE CF 81 Slovenia Fight Results
Main Card
Light Heavyweight: Erko Jun def. Said Maalem via KO (punches) - 3m06s - Round 1
Super Lightweight: Christian Mach def. David Forster via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27)
Heavyweight: Pavel Dailidko def. Valdrin Istrefi via TKO (elbow and punches) - 1m37s - Round 2
Strawweight: Monika Kucinic def. Sofiia Bagishvili via submission (armbar) - 1m58s - Round 3
Preliminary Card
Heavyweight: Haris Aksalic def. Baki Sahin via TKO (strikes) - 4m27s - Round 1
Heavyweight: Patryk Dubiela def. Kasim Aras via TKO (strikers) - 48s - Round 1
Super Welterweight: Domen Drnovsek def. Andrian Murug via submission (armbar) - 3m14s - Round 1
Flyweight: Gerard Burns def. Danijel Spoljaric via TKO (Strikes) - 4m56s - Round 1