Former BRAVE CF Super Welterweight champion Marcin Bandel might not be fighting at BRAVE CF 81 but the impact of Bandel on Polish MMA will be on full display at the event in Slovenia
Hailing from Lodz in Poland, Marcin Bandel is hands down the biggest Polish star in the history of BRAVE Combat Federation. After making his promotional debut at BRAVE CF 54 on home soil, Bandel ascended to the top of the Super Welterweight division within the span of just 13 months.
He won the BRAVE CF Super Welterweight World Title at BRAVE CF 63 back in 2022 by outclassing Ismail Naurdiev and this historic moment has inspired a new wave of MMA fighters in Poland with the city of Lodz leading the charge.
Sylwia Juśkiewicz who is set to take on Monika Kučinič at BRAVE CF 81 is from Lodz, the hometown of Bandel. She will be making her BRAVE CF debut at the event and will also be returning to MMA after a long gap of almost three years.
Having started her professional MMA career back in 2012 by debuting against the legendary Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Sylwia currently holds a professional MMA record of 10-6 to her name and will be eager to follow in the footsteps of her fellow Lodz native.
Polish Heavyweight Patryk Dubiela has a similar storyline. In fact, Dubiela trains under Bandel himself which puts some added pressure on his shoulders as he takes on Croatia’s Agron Smakici at BRAVE CF 81.
With five wins already on his resume, Dubiela has his hands full as he takes on Boxer-turned-MMA fighter Smakici who is the training partner of big names like Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. Then again, having someone like Bandel by his side will serve as a big boost for Dubiela who is also from Lodz.
Fuelled by the legacy of Bandel, Sylwia and Dubeila will be carrying the torch for Lodz and Poland at BRAVE CF 81 and it would be safe to say that the world is bound to witness a new chapter in Polish MMA at the event.