Tajikistan’s Khurshed Nazarov is set to make his BRAVE Combat Federation debut at BRAVE CF 82 on May 11 in Mauritius when he takes on Zimbabwe’s Nicholas Hwende in the co-main event.
The fight has major implications for the Bantamweight division as Nazarov comes in with an undefeated record when Hwende is at the doorsteps of a potential title shot. Beyond the implications on the Bantamweight division, the debut of Khurshed Nazarov once again underlines the commitment of BRAVE CF towards the Central Asia region.
BRAVE CF has consistently provided a global platform for MMA athletes from the region, with Nazarov being the latest standout talent to benefit. This move reflects BRAVE CF's longstanding vision for Central Asia, which began with the promotion's early ventures into the region, starting with BRAVE CF 6 held in Kazakhstan shortly after its inception.
Along with hosting events in the region, BRAVE CF has been playing a crucial role in the rise of MMA stars from Central Asia. The biggest examples from the long list of Central Asian athletes that have benefited due to BRAVE CF would be current BRAVE CF world champions Nemat Abdrashitov and Abdisalam Kubanychbek.
Nemat Abdrashitov and Abdisalam Kubanychbek have fought across the globe with BRAVE CF. When Khurshed Nazarov makes his promotional debut at BRAVE CF 82, he will be looking to follow the lead of these two champions to make a lasting impression and act as a catalyst to bring BRAVE CF to Tajikistan.
For this, Nazarov should first overcome the challenge posed by Nicholas Hwende who has already made his intentions clear about wanting a title shot.
In his previous fight in BRAVE Combat Federation, Hwende managed to outclass Tajikistan’s Mutolibsho Akobirov to secure a unanimous decision win. This will be the second straight opponent from Tajikistan for Hwende and he has a chance to spoil the promotional debut of the undefeated Nazarov.
BRAVE CF 82 will be the second event of the year that will mark the debut of the organization in Mauritius. Headlined by the Bantamweight title fight between Jose ‘Shorty’ Torres and Nkosi Ndebele, BRAVE CF 82 will feature some of the top stars from Africa and the world including Hwende and Nazarov.