LAHORE: Pakistan’s Rizwan Ali defeated India’s Srikant Sekhar after a hard-fought bout in the co-main event of Brave CF 85 in association with the Asian Championship of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) here on Sunday.

The Asian Championship of MMA is being held in Pakistan for the first time, while Brave Combat Federation marked its return to Pakistan after a six-year gap. In an eagerly awaited Lightweight match, Rizwan Ali delivered a stunning knockout in the third round, securing victory over Srikant Sekhar.Meanwhile, in another high-stakes showdown, Zia Mashwani of Pakistan claimed a first-round submission win over India’s Bharat Khandare in the Bantamweight bout. The main event culminated in a thrilling display as Kazakhstan’s Rauan Bekbolat emerged victorious over Ukraine’s Omar Solomanov in the final round of the Featherweight bout. This landmark event, Brave CF 85, scheduled from 18th to 22nd August 2024, is being broadcast live on Pakistan’s first HD sports channel, A Sports, and simultaneously streamed on ARY ZAP. A total of 12 countries will participate in the Asian Championship, and 11 teams will participate in the Brave Combat, which will also be held in Lahore. More than 180 fighters, 120 officials and 120 technical staff will participate in the competitions.