NEWS

Nursulton Ruziboev of Uzbekistan and Gamzat Magomedov of Russia have a tall order in front of them in the respective bouts on the supporting card of BRAVE CF 52: Bad Blood in Milan Italy on August 1.

Ruziboev is booked to go up against former BRAVE CF Welterweight World Champion Abdoul  “The Lazy King” Abdouraguimov of France in a 179-pound catchweight contest, while Magomedov locks horns with Austrian undefeated star Mochamed Machaev.

Abdouraguimov has been in the hunt for gold since relinquishing the belt to Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi in October 2019, winning two-straight matches via first-round submission. On the other hand, Machaev, the reigning BRAVE CF Breakout Fighter of the Year, picked up three consecutive victories last year adding to his 10-fight win streak. 

Though odds are stacked against Ruziboev and Magomedov on paper, both men have a proven track record of rising to the occasion in crucial situations and have the potential of putting an end to their opponent’s winning streaks. 

In his promotional debut at BRAVE CF 47: Asian Domination this past March, Ruziboev earned the early nomination for 2021 Knockout of the Year by putting Ibrahim Mane to sleep with a thunderous slam in the opening round.

After getting mounted by Mane, Ruziboev popped out of trouble by reversing the position, only to find himself trapped in a triangle choke attempt. 

Ruziboev postured up and delivered a spine-folding slam that immediately had Mane separated from his senses. The Uzbek landed one more hammerfist before the fight was stopped by the referee. 

Meanwhile, Magomedov has been on a tear in the organization since July 2019, beating favorites such as Ian Cleary, Harold Banario and, most recently, Matiss Zaharovs.

Magomedov's only loss occurred at BRAVE CF 17 against JP Buys in a controversial decision blemishing his undefeated record for the first, and thus far, only time. Magomedov was disqualified in the third round due to technically despite dominating his opponent; a situation similar to that of MMA legend Jon Jones, whose only defeat has come via disqualification against Matt Hamill. 

Ruziboev and Magomedov may have their hands full at BRAVE CF 52: Bad Blood, but it seems the word “impossible” is non-existent in their vocabulary.