MMA News: Middle East-Based BRAVE CF Announces Massive All-Amateur Team Tourney

The amateur mixed martial arts scene is set to receive a massive boost of support after BRAVE Combat Federation announced the creation of the MMA Super Cup with an aim to spotlight new and upcoming talent in cooperation with multiple organizers.

The announcement was made on Monday, January 10 during a press conference for the opening of the BRAVE International Combat Week at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Manama, Bahrain.

BRAVE CF president Mohammed Shahid, International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) president Kerrith Brown and Bahrain MMA Federation president Mohammed Qamber were all present during the presser.

In order to qualify for the MMA Super Cup, teams must be ranked in the Top 6 of the senior world rankings after the conclusion of the IMMAF World Championships, with two wild card teams to be included.

The teams who are set to take part in the single-elimination tournament are as follows: Russia, Ukraine, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Ireland, Tajikistan, Balkan Champions and Arab Champions--the latter two being the wild cards.

Each team will consist of 12 fighters (seven male, two female, two male substitutes, and one female substitute) – one fighter per division, and two coaches.

Once the teams have been drawn, there will be nine bouts between two teams with each fight consisting of three, three-minute rounds wherein no draws will be allowed.

The team with more wins after all nine fights will advance to the next round.

Whoever wins the entire tournament brings home the MMA Super Cup trophy and a $100,000 check, while the runner-up takes $75,000 and the winner of the third-place match gets $50,000; the largest prize pool put together for an amateur tournament.

The prize money will then be redirected to the investment of the respective nations’ MMA federations.

BRAVE International Combat Week, where the MMA Super Cup is set to be held, will take place from March 7 to 12.