Bharat Khandare is someone that has his own place in the history books of Indian MMA and now, he is looking to stage the biggest comeback that the sport has seen in India as he fights at BRAVE CF 85.
Bharat will return to MMA after a seven-year hiatus, facing Zia Mashwani at BRAVE CF 85 in Pakistan on August 18. Before stepping away from the sport due to various challenges, including financial difficulties, Bharat was one of the most prominent figures in Indian MMA, achieving milestones that no other fighter had reached at that time.
Bharat began his MMA career in 2009 and quickly rose to fame, becoming a regional MMA champion. Between 2012 and 2016, he built an impressive six-fight winning streak, with all victories coming by way of finishes. During this period, he captured the regional MMA title and gained international attention with a knockout win in Japan. He was seen as a true trailblazer.
This success led to opportunities with international MMA organizations, and Bharat made his BRAVE CF debut at BRAVE CF 5 when the organization held an event in India. However, he fought only once more before deciding to take a break from the sport to care for his ailing mother and address the financial burdens he had accumulated to support his MMA career.
Now, seven years later, Bharat is set to relaunch his career at BRAVE CF, and he has an ideal opportunity to do so as part of the biggest MMA fight card in South Asia. Although facing a tough opponent in Zia Mashwani, Bharat is determined to prove himself and showcase his skills to a new generation of Indian MMA fans who have yet to see him in action.
For Khandare, this is also a chance to earn himself the biggest comeback in Indian MMA history - should he go into enemy territory, facing a Pakistani fighter away from home, and come out with a win, then there's no doubt that he will have achieved something special for himself and for the sport and nation he loves.
BRAVE CF 85 will take place in Lahore on August 18 and marks the fifth event of the year for BRAVE Combat Federation. In addition to the bout between Bharat Khandare and Zia Mashwani, the India-Pakistan rivalry will also be highlighted in the co-main event, featuring a clash between Srikant Sekhar and Rizwan Ali.