BRAVE CF 87: Abdisalam Kubanychbek Defends Lightweight Title in Epic Main Event

BRAVE CF 87 is officially in the books and the event proved to be a night to remember as the fans in the Netherlands and around the world were treated to an action-packed night of fights headlined by a historic Lightweight title showdown.

In the main event, Abdisalam Uulu Kubanychbek successfully defended his BRAVE CF Lightweight title against Raul Tutarauli in a thrilling five-round fight, breaking the organization’s Lightweight title curse.

Raul challenged the champion early with his striking, forcing Abdisalam to attempt takedowns, which Raul initially defended well. However, Abdisalam secured a takedown midway through the second round, leading to a ground scramble without significant damage from either fighter. The action continued on the feet in the third and fourth rounds, with both fighters having their moments.

Kubanychbek had to work hard to maintain his belt

Raul briefly wobbled Abdisalam in the third round, but Abdisalam also found success with his strikes, including attempted spinning backfists. In the fifth round, both fighters were evenly matched, but Abdisalam’s striking gave him the edge, leading to a decision victory. With the win, he remains undefeated in BRAVE CF and made history as the first BRAVE CF Lightweight champion to defend the title.

In the co-main event, Noach Blyden secured another first-round finish in BRAVE CF, defeating Adrian Gralak. Gralak aimed to use his grappling to neutralize Blyden but was overwhelmed by Blyden’s striking. Towards the end of the first round, Blyden landed a series of knees, one of which dropped Gralak, prompting the referee to stop the fight. The victory marked Blyden’s fifth consecutive first-round finish and solidified his position as a top contender in the Middleweight division.

Noach Blyden is 2-0 under BRAVE CF with two impressive wins

Zabiullah Mubarez dominated Nabil Haryouli in their bout, using his grappling to control the fight. Despite Nabil’s efforts from the bottom, Zabiullah opened a cut on Nabil’s face in the first round and maintained control throughout the second and third rounds, ultimately winning by unanimous decision and handing Nabil his first MMA loss.

Clyde Brunswijk delivered a standout performance, submitting Madalin Pirvulescu in the third round. After struggling in the first round against Madalin’s grappling prowess, Clyde made a strong comeback in the second, using his striking to trouble the Romanian. In the third round, Madalin secured a takedown, but Clyde locked in a guillotine during a scramble, forcing Madalin to tap.

In the opening fight, Rasul Magomedov continued his undefeated streak by stopping Brazilian veteran Pablo Benaion in the first round. Rasul dominated from the start, landing elbows on the ground that caused a severe cut, leading to a referee stoppage.

BRAVE CF 87 marked the organization’s second event in the Netherlands, following BRAVE CF 83 earlier this year. Held in partnership with Enfusion’s ECE MMA, it was a milestone event for MMA in the Netherlands. BRAVE CF now heads to Slovenia for BRAVE CF 88 on September 28, featuring two vacant world titles on the line as the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight belts will be up for grabs in Ljubljana.

BRAVE CF 87 Results:

Lightweight: Abdisalam Kubanychbek def. Raul Tutarauli via unanimous decision (48×47, 49×46, 48×47)

Middleweight: Noach Blyden def. Adrian Gralak via TKO (knees and punches) – 4m55s – Round 1

Catchweight 68kg: Zabiullah Mubarez def. Nabil Haryouli via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Middleweight: Clyde Brunswijk def. Madalin Pirvulescu via submission (guillotine choke) – 3m13s – Round 3

Light Heavyweight: Rasul Magomedov def. Pablo Benaion via TKO (punches) – 2m18s – Round 1

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.