Beyond the flashy skills and bright lights, MMA is a sport in which the ability to triumph over adversity stands out and Slovenia’s David Forster at BRAVE CF is no stranger to such situations. From the depths of a broken household to the global spotlight in BRAVE Combat Federation, Forster has seen it all.
Growing up in Ljubljana, Slovenia, sports became a refuge for Forster amidst the turmoil of a broken family.
From the age of six, he displayed exceptional talent as a goalkeeper in football, but it was a chance encounter with a match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer that ignited his passion for tennis. Inspired by Nadal, Forster pursued tennis until financial difficulties which stemmed from his parents’ divorce forced him to abandon his dreams of a professional tennis career.
The aftermath of his parents' divorce had more than just financial implications in the life of Forster. It dragged him into a period of darkness, marked by weight gain and emotional turmoil. But this was not going to stop him.
“It was difficult for me; I do not really remember 2-3 years when I was fat. They are just kind of a blur. I think I got over it in high-school, I just kind of accepted it and moved on with my life,” Forster recalls.
With the guidance of a motivating PE teacher in high school, he embarked on a journey of self-discovery, realizing that he possessed the power to transform his life through hard work and dedication. Soon, he started his journey in MMA and there was no looking back.
“I have been drawing inspiration from that [struggles in life] since I was nine years old. I feel like anyone can achieve anything with hard work, you just need to put everything you have into it and you can be successful in anything,” he says.
Forster came in with this same attitude when he went up against Nemanja Nikolic in his BRAVE CF debut at BRAVE CF 70. The Slovenian staged one of the craziest comeback victories in BRAVE Combat Federation in this fight and finished Nikolic in the third-round to set the tone for his journey in the most global MMA organization in the world. His never-say-die attitude elevated him to a Rocky-like figure in front of the BRAVE Nation thanks to this fight.
He followed this up with another impressive performance against Mohsen Mohammadseifi at BRAVE CF 79. The fight ended up going into the BRAVE CF history books as the 2023 Fans’ Fight of The Year as well.
Four months later, Forster is now preparing to showcase his Rocky story once again at BRAVE Combat Federation. He returns to fight British veteran Chad Griffiths at BRAVE CF 81 and this time around, he has some added motivation as well since he will be fighting on his home soil in Slovenia.