BRAVE CF's Inaugural Event In Belarus Seen As Breakthrough Moment For European MMA

With momentum from the successful events that it has staged across Europe over the last year, BRAVE Combat Federation is set to break ground in Belarus.

The country's capital city of Minsk will host BRAVE CF 51: The Future Is Here on June 4, making Belarus the seventh European country that the Bahrain-based international mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has visited.

BRAVE CF will feature some of the best local fighters from Belarus for the historic card, including the much-revered Vadim Kutsyi who is expected to be the main attraction from a list of Belarusian fighters set to take center stage.

A former three-time European champion and 2014 Belarus amateur champion, Kutsyi has compiled an impressive professional record of 15 wins in 16 fights.

Known as the best fighter in Belarus, he will face off against Kyrgyzstan’s Daniyar Abdibaev in a middleweight showdown to solidify his status.

Other local bets getting the opportunity to ascend on home soil include Murat Azerbiev, Evgeniy Sleptsov, and Vadim Rolich.

Years after its European debut in Northern Ireland, BRAVE CF has been strategic in its expansion in the continent.

The organization hosted four consecutive events in Sweden during the weekends of August 2020. Earlier in the year, Russia was chosen as the venue of BRAVE CF 46.

Overall, the global MMA outfit was able to hold seven events in a calendar year in Europe, doing it under extraordinary circumstances due to the pandemic situation.

In doing so, BRAVE CF is competing with respective European regional promotions. Its roster of over 80 fighters from 32 European countries also plays a part in establishing a supportive fan base.

Organizers see BRAVE CF 51 as the biggest MMA event to have taken place in Belarus, a key step for the continued growth of the sport in the country as well as Europe.