BRAVE CF’s Gerard Burns dominates at Bantamweight, wins the call-out game with legendary challenge of Mokaev
Oct 21, 2024
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BRAVE CF 89 saw Gerard Burns emerging as a dual-division threat as the Irish Flyweight delivered a dominant performance, this time against Santiago Paiva at 135 pounds, remaining undefeated in the organization. While his victory was impressive, what drew attention was Burns' bold callout, which sparked another potential Ireland vs. Dagestan rivalry in MMA by challenging Muhammad Mokaev.
Burns entered BRAVE CF 89 with two consecutive first-round knockout wins at Flyweight. He showcased his superior grappling skills against Paiva, a BJJ Black Belt and submission specialist, to secure a win at Bantamweight and extend his winning streak to five. Interestingly, in-between the fight, Burns called out Mokaev while controlling Paiva on the ground in a bold move that not many have done inside the MMA cage.
After being awarded the win, Burns reiterated his challenge to Mokaev.
"I only know one guy, and it's the little bald guy who has no respect for himself—Muhammad Mokaev. You are being handed to me on a plate, bro, and I am going to eat it. Let's go!" Burns noted in his post-fight speech.
Before the fight, Burns had promised to "humble" Mokaev and claimed he was "easy work." With proven success in both Flyweight and Bantamweight divisions, Burns has positioned himself as a prime candidate to face Mokaev upon his return to the BRAVE CF cage.
The callout has ignited a high-profile Ireland vs. Dagestan rivalry, capturing the attention of MMA fans, though there is no official confirmation on the next fights of these two fighters.
BRAVE CF 89 took place in Spain on October 19, making history by hosting the first MMA world title fight on Spanish soil and concluding BRAVE CF’s "Around the World in 70 Days" tour, which featured six events across six countries and two continents.