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BRAVE CF

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Former MMA star Rolando Dy credits BRAVE CF with career surge, saving his family's business

by BRAVE CF

Posted on May 10, 2023

Former MMA star and famed coach Rolando Dy has set tongues wagging after revealing plans to return to the BRAVE CF cage on social media this week. The Philippines’ veteran initially ended his active MMA career after succumbing to Kazakhstan’s Olzhas Eskaraev at BRAVE CF 62 in September last year. The announcement was a heartfelt moment for fans at the Baluan Sholaq Arena in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It was the closing of a chapter for BRAVE Combat Federation and the pioneer of Filipino MMA, considering the impact the BRAVE CF 2020 “Fighter of the Year” made.

His resignation brought down the curtain on an impressive 27-fight professional career that included many highs for “The Incredible” who became his nation’s most celebrated and experienced mixed martial artist after fighting in six promotions. But earlier this week Dy flipped the script, sharing his deep appreciation for what BRAVE Combat Federation did for him, his family, and his business before he intimated another run in BRAVE CF.

In his Instagram post, the Dyincredible Fighting and Fitness Center owner posted a picture of his bout against Poland’s Maciek Gierszewski at BRAVE CF 42 - a nostalgic moment for Dy, considering the challenges he was facing at the time.

“This was against a giant 6’2” Maciek Gierszewski, a Polish fighter with a 100 percent KO winning rate. I took the fight on two weeks' notice during the pandemic period of 2020. I won that fight via split decision,” said the 5’8” Lightweight.

“This fight saved my family from being broke and my gym from bankruptcy. This fight saved me from pandemic hunger. Thank you BRAVE Combat Federation family for giving me a lot of fights against the best in the world and for paying me well. I am happy to end my run in your cage. See you guys soon,” added the Filipino, who competed nine times in the BRAVE CF cage.

Two of Dy’s nine BRAVE CF bouts took place in 2020 during the first brutal pandemic wave. It was a horrible period globally as the world came to a grinding halt. The subsequent lockdown took a toll on industries, especially the fight game, with BRAVE Combat Federation being one of the only brands to produce world-class shows with eleven BRAVE CF events during that time - helping fighters to help put food on the table and continue to build their careers.

For Dy, BRAVE Combat Federation’s efforts to help its fighters during that dark period have not gone unnoticed. As a small gesture of appreciation to BRAVE CF and the fans, the Filipino warrior aims to roll out one more stint in the fastest-growing MMA promotion.