BRAVE CF 82: Ndebele receives hero's welcome in intense face-off with rival Torres ahead of historic trilogy
May 10, 2024
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The staredowns ahead of BRAVE CF 82 proved to be a stage for BRAVE CF Bantamweight World Champion Nkosi Ndebele to showcase his star power
Nkosi Ndebele (left) faces a smiling Jose Torres (right) ahead of their trilogy fight at BRAVE CF 82
With just under 24 hours to the historic BRAVE CF 82 event in Mauritius, the excitement is at an all-time high as the fighters showcased intensity and electrified the crowd during the staredowns.
Ahead of their main event clash on Saturday night, Bantamweight world champion Nkosi Ndebele and former champion Jose ‘Shorty’ Torres had a heavy and tense staredown. Nkosi and Torres will be locking horns for the title in what will be the first-ever trilogy in BRAVE Combat Federation and the biggest fight in African MMA history.
After facing off with his arch-rival, Torres said that he is going into the fight in the best possible form.
“I created a team just for this fight and I am ready as never before. If Nkosi wins tomorrow he will have beaten the best Jose Torres ever,” Torres noted after the staredown.
Nkosi, meanwhile, was mobbed by his supporters after the staredowns and had to stay back an hour to pose for photos with the fans that came to see him. Once the dust settled, the South African made it clear that he will be stepping into the cage tomorrow in Mauritius to close the chapter with Torres.
“There is no more talk. Tomorrow, I close this chapter. The king is here and I am home,” Nkosi said.
Gitinov (left) didn't take kindly to Lolia's pillow and the two clashed at the face-offs
Prince Lolia added some flair to the pre-fight rituals with a playful yet bold gesture, bringing a pillow labelled 'sleep time' to his staredown with Ramazan Gitinov. Lolia’s actions set the tone for his face-off with Ramazan as they clashed heavily with Ramazan pushing Lolia.
BRAVE CF 82, which happens in Mauritius on Saturday, May 11, will be the second event of the year for BRAVE Combat Federation after an outing in Slovenia with BRAVE CF 81 back in April. The event will also mark the debut of the organization in Mauritius which will be the 31st country to host a BRAVE CF event, a world record which is unmatched by any other organization.
BRAVE CF 82 Official Weigh In results
Bantamweight world championship: Nkosi Ndebele (61.15kg) vs Jose Torres (61.05kg)
Bantamweight: Nicholas Hwende (61.4kg) vs Khurshed Nazarov (61.2kg)
Featherweight: Ylies Djiroun (66.1kg) vs Ananias Mulumba (65.7kg)
Super Welterweight: Eliezer Kubanza (79.1kg) vs Karim Rabei (82.85kg)*
Lightweight: Ramazan Gitinov (70.2kg) vs Prince Lolia (69.8Kg)
*Didn't make weight, will forfeit 30% of his purse to Kubanza