The BRAVE Combat Federation International Combat Week has played host to one of the most intriguing developments in modern MMA History.
The MMA Supercup tournament has pitted the top nations/regions in amateur mixed martial arts ranked by the IMMAF regular season to see which nation reigns supreme in the sport of MMA. While the lineup of teams present this week has changed since the idea of the tournament was conceived, the ultimate line up featuring Oceana, Ireland, Mexico, Arab champions, Kazakhstan, Balkan champions, Bahrain and Tajikistan began competing earlier this week.
As of today, March 11th the semi-finals have been completed with Ireland and Bahrain emerging as final rivals.
Mexico and Kazakhstan will also be fighting in tomorrow’s event, vying for the bronze medal and third place. To recap how the final teams made it to tomorrow’s competition, let’s take a look at the route each nation went through.
Quarter Finals
In the opening round Oceana battled with Ireland. In arguably the closest round of the tournament, the two teams found themselves with four wins each going into the final fight. In a nail biter of a match Ireland’s Gustavo Lopez pulled off one of the most intense knee bars in recent memory when he secured the submission in the final moments of the fight.
Mexico would then take on Arab Champions in about as much a contrasting way to the previous quarter final as possible. With two walkover wins under their belt to start, Mexico secured another three wins without giving up a single loss to secure their spot against Ireland in the finals. In a strategic move, they forfeited the last three fights officially, allowing their fighters to make it to the next day with less strain and possible injury.
Kazakhstan likewise dominated en route through the quarter finals against Balkan Champions. Most impressive was Zhanibek Tynyshtyk who demonstrated the full arsenaL of skills both striking and grappling needed in elite mixed martial arts. Like Mexico, Kazakhstan earned their semi-final spot with a perfect record.
7-2 was the final results between team Bahrain and team Tajikistan, with the latter fighting valiantly but ultimately losing the final four matches after going a competitive 2-3 in the first five. Bahrain’s Ramazan Gitinov wowed fans and lived up to the hype when he recorded a submission victory for his country.
Semi Finals
First came Ireland vs. Mexico, one of the tournament’s original favorites and last minute team who already showed the ability and heart to rise to the occasion. It looked as if the underdog story was to be completed, with Mexico going 3-1 in the first four. However, in a major comeback, Ireland picked off their rivals in the final four fights concluding with a submission victory for Denis Perry.
Bahrain vs. Kazakhstan mirrored the exact score which Ireland and Mexico ended with. Going 5-3, it was a battle back and forth as the two countries at one point faced each other at 3-3. In the end though, the final two matches were decided on Bahrain’s terms securing their spot in the final.
Finals
Tomorrow Team Ireland and Team Bahrain will compete for the first ever gold spot in the MMA Supercup. On the final day of the International Combat Week both teams are ready to showcase the heights of amateur MMA on a global scale. With Ireland’s Brad Katona defeating Bahrain’s Hamza Kooheji at BRAVE 57 today as the main event of the combat week, tension between the two fighting nations couldn’t be higher.
Speaking on the success of the week and what it means for Bahrain as the host kingdom, Aymen bin Tawfiq Almoayed explained that “the BRAVE International Combat Week will have an important role in raising the skills of the Kingdom’s fighters and giving them the ability to compete and achieve great accomplishments in the name of Bahrain. Moreover, the tournament will be a suitable place to confirm Bahrain’s capabilities and leadership in this sport at the global level.”