On December 2, Walel ‘The Gazelle’ Watson (13-8) will be unleashed, making his Brave debut against Algerian superstar Elias Boudegzdame (12-4) in a fascinating bout in the 66kg weight division.
Team Hurricane Awesome’s Watson arrives in Bahrain at the peak of his fighting career, having already shared a cage with some of the best fighters in the world, and possessing elite MMA skills both standing and on the ground.
His CV speaks volumes of the level of competition he’s been fighting at and he has had an impressive career, but is not finished yet.
Brave is following through on its promise and the CEO Mohammed Shahid is building a legacy which is clearly geared towards being the best MMA organisation in the world – offering veteran fighters like Watson an opportunity to have one last run at the top.
Conversely, Boudegzdame, the 23-year-old Frenchman fighting out of Labonne Ecole – with his head coach and brother Amine – is making serious waves in the sport.
He has already impressed fans in the Middle East when featuring in Desert Force and has faced some stiff competition despite being so young.
His jiu-jitsu skills are impressive and he’s lethal on the ground, capable of ending the fight in many different ways. In his most recent fight he finished a very credible Polish opponent, Krzysztof Klaczek, with a stunning submission, which was executed from a defensive position after Klaczek had scooped him up and taken him down.
Elias transitioned beautifully, turning defence into attack as he effortlessly wrapped his legs around the helpless Klaczek and delivered a fine Triangle Choke to force the tap-out.
He is very dangerous off the ground and The Gazelle will need be wary of this. Watson has fought high-calibre jiu-jitsu fighters before, but the Frenchman has won three on the bounce and looks destined for stardom.
Brave 2: Dynasty tickets are on sale now via www.bravefights.com, Virgin Megastore and selected outlets around Bahrain.
