After his decisive win over Daniele Scatizzi at Brave 9: The Kingdom of Champions, Charlie Leary was the subject of many call-outs, with the likes of Hardeep Rai and Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady all challenging him for a fight in the next Brave Combat Federation events. Even Lucas Mineiro, who was due to challenge Featherweight champion Elias Bouedgzdame but had trouble making weight, was impressed with the Englishman’s performance in Bahrain and wanted “to put on a show” against him.

The numerous call-outs, which came through social media and also included former UFC fighter Norman Parke, haven’t surprised Leary. In an exclusive interview with “SportsJournal”, the Englishman claims he’s the number one Lightweight on the Brave roster and that’s why he’s attracting so much attention from future foes.

‘I’m not really surprised by the call-outs and feel like I’m the number one Lightweight in Brave and these guys know they have to beat me to get that number one spot”, says Leary, who says Mineiro’s callout actually made him happy.

“When Lucas Mineiro called me out I was actually quite happy about it because I have absolute respect for him and think he’s an incredible fighter. So, for him to have me in his sights, means I’m doing something right and I think if that fight happens everyone wins. There is no way we could put on a boring fight and it’s one everyone will be talking about”, claims Leary.

After previously being beaten by newly-crowned champion Ottman Azaitar, in what many consider to be Brave’s Round of The Year, Charlie wants another crack at the Moroccan superstar. He reflected on the back-and-forth action, which saw him drop “The Bulldozer” before succumbing to the new champ’s heavy hands.

“I think in my fight with Ottman, my biggest mistake was letting my ego get in the way after dropping him and not finishing him. I completely let my ego take over which led to lots of mistakes. I take nothing away from him he hits like a train and is a great fighter but I obviously believe I would beat him in a rematch and think we could put on another fight of the year candidate”, commented the Englishman.

Recently crowned as Brave Combat Federation’s first-ever Bantamweight champion, Stephen Loman has been using his new-found fame to inspire Filipino children all over the country and sharing his story with them during the holiday season. And “The Sniper” used social media to make sure that his message was spread across the world.

After Brave 9: The Kingdom of Champions, last November, when he beat Gurdarshan Mangat to capture the belt, Loman was recognized by his local community of Barangay with a special award and has thanked them for the recognition. He also hopes his success can be mirrored by local children.

“I thank the Barangay officials for recognizing my achievements within Brave Combat Federation and I want to continue to inspire the youth so that they too can achieve their dreams. Nothing is impossible with strong determination, good training, and self-discipline. I also would like to thank my teammates and Brave Combat Federation for the support that they have shown me. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year”, said the message delivered by Loman to his fans and Brave enthusiasts around the world.

While he’s celebrating his achievement of becoming the Philippines’ first-ever Brave champion, “The Sniper” looks to get back into training as soon as possible and is set on a title defense in the first semester. The likes of Felipe Efrain and Hamza Kooheji wait in the wings for a title shot next.

Egypt’s Ahmed Amir made history at last November’s Brave 9: The Kingdom Of Champions. By beating Erik Carlsson, “The Butcher” became the first-ever winner of three Brave Combat Federation bouts. Amir, who was also victorious against Richie Martínez and Kevin Koldobsky, has positioned himself as a top Lightweight on Brave’s roster after his latest win.

But he wants more. In an exclusive interview with MMA website The Fan Garage, Ahmed Amir admitted he had his eyes set on a title shot since Ottman Azaitar was crowned Lightweight champion at Brave 9’s main event. While he had special praise for the newly-crowned champ, the Egyptian feels good about the eventual matchup.

“Ottman proved that he is a very good opponent but I like this kind of challenge, all I care about is to be the champion as soon as possible no matter who is the champion. It’s that simple for me.  I think the Lightweight division really suits me. I am a Lightweight fighter who doesn’t cut weight, so all my fights in other divisions were temporary”, commented Amir.

After his hard-earned win at Brave 9, “The Butcher” was praised by legendary coach John Kavanagh, who trains the likes of international superstar Conor McGregor and Brave Bantamweight contender Frans Mlambo. Amir was delighted and felt encouraged after hearing Kavanagh’s kind words for him.

“hat’s really felt great especially since I respect him so much and when he praised me I was surprised and happy. I’ll work to be able to get more praise”, said Ahmed.