Pavel Dailidko comes up big in BRAVE CF 99 main event
Vilnius, Lithuania: BRAVE Combat Federation (BRAVE CF) made history in Lithuania with its inaugural premium live event, BRAVE CF 99, held at the Twinsbet Arena in Vilnius.
In partnership with Unique & Talented Martial Artists (UTMA), the groundbreaking event delivered an unforgettable night of action for fight fans. The card featured 10 bouts, culminating in a BRAVE CF World Championship showdown that served as the evening’s main attraction.
In the main event of BRAVE CF 99, Pavel Dailidko successfully defended his BRAVE CF Heavyweight World Championship with a statement performance at the expense of French challenger Gregory “Robson” Robinet.
From the get-go, the Lithuanian powerhouse proved unstoppable, landing punishing strikes that echoed throughout the arena. Dailidko wasted no time, unleashing crisp combinations that swamped Robinet and compelled the referee to step in, halting the bout to protect the Frenchman from further damage.
With this outstanding triumph, “The Experiment” extended his winning streak to seven outings, maintaining his perfect finishing rate while solidifying his hold on the heavyweight throne.
In the co-main event of the evening, Georgia’s Shota Betlemidze emerged victorious over Lithuania’s Tomas “Lumberjack” Pakutinskas via disqualification. Both heavyweights came out swinging aggressively, looking to make an immediate impact. Betlemidze converted a takedown to gain some form of leverage, but as Pakutinskas attempted to escape, he delivered illegal strikes to the back of Betlemidze’s head just 90 seconds into the first round. The blows left Betlemidze unable to continue, prompting the referee to disqualify Pakutinskas and award the win to Betlemidze.
Georgia’s Bidzina Gavashelishvili returned to the win column with a dominant grappling display against Turkey’s Alperen “The Demigod” Karabulut in a 58-kilogram catchweight joust. Right off the bat, Gavashelishvili imposed his will, repeatedly taking Karabulut down and neutralizing any attempts at offense. The Georgian’s sustained pressure on the mat earned him a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.
Laurynas “Captain Lithuania” Urbonavicius withstood a stern challenge from Morocco’s Salim “Bizon” El Ouassaidi in a hard-fought light heavyweight encounter. Urbonavicius set the tone early, operating behind his impeccable grappling in a dominant opening salvo. El Ouassaidi fought back in the second round, hammering power punches and showcasing his boxing prowess. In the decisive third frame, the Lithuanian veteran dug deep, scoring crucial takedowns to maintain control and ultimately earn a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards.
Lithuania’s Zygimantas Ramaska achieved his fifth career victory by way of submission, defeating French lightweight Geisym Derouiche in his maiden assignment on the international stage. The 28-year-old started aggressively, landing fierce striking combinations that shook Derouiche early. As the fight progressed, Ramaska expertly changed levels, controlling his opponent on the ground before locking in a punishing armbar that forced the Frenchman to tap.
Lithuania-born Irishman Nauris “The Nightmare” Bartoska authored a memorable homecoming at BRAVE CF 99, prevailing over Poland’s Jakub Drozdowski in a 63-kilogram catchweight tilt. Drozdowski controlled much of the proceedings early, asserting dominance in the grappling exchanges and putting the hometown favorite in a tough predicament. However, in the final moments of the first round, Bartoska turned the tide, landing a sharp elbow that rocked Drozdowski and sent him crashing to the mat. Though the bell saved him momentarily, the strike left a severe cut on the Polish fighter’s forehead, with the cageside doctor deeming him unable to continue. This paved the way for Bartoska to walk away with a TKO win.
Germany’s Christian “The Walking Dead” Mach needed less than a round to derail the MMA debut of Mantvydas Perednis in a 77-kilogram catchweight matchup. Mach quickly took the decorated Lithuanian striker out of his comfort zone, securing a takedown and dominating on the mat. The German bruiser unleashed a steady stream of ground-and-pound assault before locking in a deep rear-naked choke for his second career win in BRAVE CF.
Latvia’s Ričards “Lionheart” Ozols made a thunderous debut under the BRAVE CF banner, delivering a highlight-reel knockout to announce his arrival in emphatic fashion. Facing Georgia’s Tornike “Duras” Gigauri in a middleweight duel, the 6-foot-4 newcomer weathered early grappling exchanges before seizing his opportunity on the feet. When the fight returned to striking range, Ozols unleashed a perfectly timed head kick that sent Gigauri crashing to the canvas, followed by short punches to seal a stunning stoppage victory.
The bantamweight clash between Lithuania’s Deividas “The Silent Assassin” Zamba and England’s Robert “The Masterpiece” Masters came to an abrupt and unfortunate conclusion. The match opened with an intense pace, as both men showcased their offense in a thrilling first round. However, during a grappling exchange, a takedown attempt by Zamba caused a section of the cage canvas to lift. For the safety of the athletes, officials opted to stop the bout and declared it a no contest before the start of the second round.
Emilijus Kaganovicius ignited the crowd inside the Twinsbet Arena, kicking off BRAVE CF 99 with a spectacular first-round submission victory over England’s Tim “Ginger Dragon” Quinlan in a lightweight tiff. The Lithuanian teenage phenom came out firing from the opening bell, overwhelming his opponent with relentless pressure. After landing a takedown and nearly sealing the win with a tight arm-triangle choke, Kaganovicius smoothly transitioned to a rear-naked choke, forcing the tap with just 13 seconds remaining in the round to send his hometown fans into a frenzy.
BRAVE CF 99 FULL RESULTS
• BRAVE CF Heavyweight World Championship: Pavel Dailidko def. Gregory Robinet via TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of round one• Heavyweight: Shota Betlemidze def. Tomas Pakutinskas via disqualification• 58-KG Catchweight: Bidzina Gavashelishvili def. Alperen Karabulut via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds• Light Heavyweight: Laurynas Urbonavicius def. Salim El Ouassaidi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds• Lightweight: Zygimantas Ramaska def. Geisym Derouiche via submission (armbar) at 4:08 of round one• 63-KG Catchweight: Nauris Bartoska def. Jakub Drozdowski via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round one• 77-KG Catchweight: Christian Mach def. Mantvydas Perednis via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:56 of round one• Middleweight: Ričards Ozols def. Tornike Gigauri via knockout (head kick) at 3:18 of round one• Bantamweight: Deividas Zamba vs. Robert Masters ended in a no contest due to cage malfunction• Lightweight: Emilijus Kaganovicius def. Tim Quinlan via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:47 of round one
