Welterweight boxer Hassan Fakhreddine makes his MMA debut this Saturday at Brave 7: Untamed, in Tijuana, Mexico. Fighting out of San Diego, California, he has big shoes to fill as his big brother Mohammad Fakhreddine has established himself as one of Brave’s biggest stars and is set to fight for the 77 kg. title in August, at Brave 8: The Rise of Champions.

However, Hassan isn’t fazed at the inevitable comparisons to the older Fakhreddine and is actually motivated to follow his brother’s footsteps into international stardom, starting with his bout against Rodrigo Reyes. He’s been studying his opponent’s fights and guarantees he’s ready to start off his MMA career with a devastating win.

“I’ve actually been watching his fights all the time during my camp. I’m feeling very pumped and I’m ready to go out there and perform, do what I do best, which is to fight and knock people out. I’m not really worried about people comparing me to Mohammad, I’m actually very motivated by everything he’s achieved so far in his career. I want to make sure I follow his footsteps starting with a win over Reyes”, says the younger Fakhreddine.

While he’s focused on making a successful debut at rave 7: Untamed, Hassan Fakhreddine is also looking forward to the title fight between his brother and Carl “Bomber” Booth, which will serve as the co-main event of Brave 8: The Rise of Champions, on August 12th, in Brazil.

“This is going to be a great fight, man. They’re both very aggressive fighters, but I think Mohammad is smarter and even more aggressive. I think he’s going to be too much for Booth and I expect my brother to walk away with the belt with a stoppage either late in the first round or during the second frame. I’m very excited for us to go out there and put Lebanon on the map of mixed martial arts”, predicts Hassan.

Brave 7: Untamed marks the promotion’s first ever trip to Mexico, where Alejandro “Pato” Martínez rematches Fabian “El Aniquilador” Quintanar in the main event. The event will be available to a record 84 countries and an estimated 800 million households around the world. Two weeks later, Brave Combat Federation goes back to Brazil with two titles on the line: local hero Klidson Abreu faces German prospect Timo Feucht for the Light Heavyweight belt while Mohammad Fakhreddine and Carl Booth battle for the Welterweight crown.

There is a new king in town. Tijuana now belongs to Alejandro Martinez, and there’s no doubt about it. Pato beat Fabian Quintanar for the second time, now with a second-round submission at Brave 7: Untamed main event, to settle the biggest rivalry in Mexican MMA.

Martinez got into the cage haunted by the ghost of controversy from the first meeting with Fabian. In the occasion, a year ago, he won via split decision but didn’t convince his opponent or his teammates. Now, Pato left no room for doubt and stopped Quintanar with a rear-naked choke.

Both Alejandro and Fabian started the fight looking for the leg kicks. Even though Quintanar had the reach advantage, it was Martinez controlling the distance and throwing long range punches. When he managed to bring the fight to the close distance, Fabian clinched and used his dirty boxing. Closer to the end of the first round, Pato’s low kicks started to damage Quintanar’s leg and reduce his mobility.

Early into the second round, Quintanar went for the single leg but Martinez defended well. Soon after, it was Martinez’s turn to go for the takedown and successfully take the fight to the ground twice. After the second takedown, Pato got Fabian’s back quickly and that was the beginning of the end. With a tight rear-naked choke locked, Martinez waited for the tap and got his second win in a row against Quintanar.

With the triumph over Quintanar, Martinez improved his professional record to 3-0. The Mexican lightweight, who had an extensive and victorious amateur career, is now 2-0 under Brave CF’s banner.

These are special days for the Fakhreddine family. Two weeks before Mohammad Fakhreddine fight for the inaugural welterweight title in Brazil, the younger brother Hassan made his professional debut and left a great impression.

“The Young Assassin” faced the local prospect Rodrigo Reyes in front of a hostile audience but didn’t even have time to care about this. Hassan showed his boxing credentials and secured his first pro win with a TKO after a doctor stoppage.

Now Hassan turns his attention to Brave 8: The Rise of Champions, more specifically to the co-main event. On August 12, his older brother Mohammad will face Carl Booth for the welterweight title in one of the most anticipated bouts in Brave Combat Federation history.

The Mexico vs Philippines clash between Pablo Sabori and Andrew Lagdaan was anticipated as one of the most exciting bouts of Brave 7 card and it has delivered. In a back and forth match, with both fighters getting really close to finishing the fight, Sabori ended up with a win via technical knockout in the third round.

Early in the contest, Lagdaan goes for the takedown and successfully puts Sabori against his back. “El Toro de las Pilipinas” quickly gets his opponent’s back and starts working towards the rear-naked choke. Andrew is really close to finishing the fight but Pablo manages to reverse the position and regain the guard.  Lagdaan insists and gets the half-guard, throwing some good strikes from the top.

Back to the the stand- up, Lagdaan is paying a high price for his previous effort and starts to gas out. Pablo Sabori then takes the center of the cage and hurts the Filipino-American with his striking. The Mexican avoids the next takedown attempts from Lagdaan and establishes that the fight will take place in his own territory, which he further reinforced with a flashy flying head kick.

Halfway through the third and last round, the Filipino almost gets another takedown but is swiped, ending up from the bottom. With more than three minutes on the clock and the advantage position, Sabori delivers some strong hits and brings the fight back to the stand-up. Constantly switching stances, Sabori rocks Lagdaan with a head kick and goes for the kill. The Mexican delivers some hammer-fists to the head and the referee stops the fight.

With the late knockout, Pablo Sabori got his seventh professional win, while the 32-year-old Lagdaan suffered his fourth loss.

Alejandro Martinez def. Fabian Quintanar via submission (rear-naked choke) – R2, 2:14

Chris Padilla def. Ivan Castillo via split decision (30-27, 28-29 30-28)

Antonio Duarte def. Hector Valenzuela via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

Pablo Sabori def. Andrew Lagdaan via TKO (punches) – R3, 3:03

Hassan Fakhreddine def. Rodrigo Reyes via TKO (doctor stoppage) – R2, 4:58

Marcos Beristain def. Ernesto Galán via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Victor Tirado def. Ben Pineda via TKO (punches) – R1, 1:09

Eduardo Alvarado def. Daniel Rincón via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Saul Cabrera def. José Salazar via submission (armbar) – R1, 0:51

Kevin Amador def. Irving Hernandez via submission (armbar) – R2, 3:32

Alejandro “Pato” Martínez settled a rivalry during the Brave 7: Untamed main event, last Saturday, in Tijuana, Mexico, but is ready to start a new one. After submitting Fabian “El Aniquilador” Quintanar in the second round, the Mexican had words for Kareem-Abdul Al-Selwady and Alan Omer, two of Brave’s best Lightweights.

While “Pato” is only three fights into his professional career, he has impressed both times he entered the Brave cage: before locking in a fight-ending rear-naked choke in Quintanar, Martínez TKO’d veteran Paulo “Bananada” Silva at Brave 5: Go For Glory, last April, in India. And the Lightweight prospect guarantees he’s ready for higher ranked opponents after going 2-0 in his two promotional bouts.

“Of course winning my second fight in a row I think about fighting for the title but there’s a fighter in special, Al-Selwady, and how we say here in Mexico: let’s go to war! And they all fear me. If this is in the past, Alan Omer, I want you!”, claims Martínez.

Before calling out Omer and Al-Selwady, “Pato” had to go through Quintanar. They first met during the third season of reality show The Ultimate Fighter Latin America. In their exhibition fight, Martínez won a split decision in a bout which won the accolade of “Fight of the Season”. However, “Pato” is relieved to have finished “El Aniquilador” this time around.

“I felt really good while striking and grappling. And that’s how the MMA fighters are, we have to be well-rounded, and I knew I was a superior fighter. And I hope now everybody’s happy because it was pretty clear that I won”, says.

After its first Mexican event, Brave Combat Federation is set to go back to Brazil in two weeks’ time for Brave 8: The Rise of Champions. On August 12th, Curitiba will meet two new champions as Light Heavyweights Klidson Abreu and Timo Feucht fight for the divisional title and Lebanon’s Mohammad Fakhreddine meets Englishman Carl Booth for the Welterweight belt.