From Ilia Topuria, to Khamzat Chimaev, to Benoit Saint Denis, Brave Combat Federation has been the proving grounds for quite a few superstars before they signed to the UFC. Every time I tune into Brave, I am hoping to find a new prospect that has the potential to be something great, and this upcoming weekend at Brave 107 is no different.
Anton Yanchev, 29, 4-0-0, Lightweight
Perhaps the best prospect on the card, the 29 year old Yanchev is 4-0 with all four wins coming in under 3 minutes. While the decorated BJJ fighter is far from a fish out of water on the feet, he has a clear plan in wanting to get it to the ground. Like many fighters early in their career he has a bad tendency to take blind shots. This tendency led him to taking a brutal knee in his 3rd career fight, but he recovered well, showcasing his chin.
Once he gets his opponents to the ground, by knockdown or takedown, he is very comfortable flowing in top position. So far his opponents haven’t lasted very long once it hits the mat, with 3 of them tapping to chokes and once tapping to some relentless ground and pound.
While Yanchev is clearly one to watch coming out of Bulgaria, I would love to see him get some more time on the feet in his upcoming bout against 2-0 fighter Bachuki Tchikaidze. Showcasing a more well rounded skillset, which he flashed once by starting his fight with a spinning back kick, would go far in convincing the public he is ready to fight top competition on the regional scene. I am sure that if it weren’t for him being 29 already, he could’ve grown into a top 25 prospect in the coming years.
Bidzina Gavashelishvili, 28, 15-4-0, Flyweight
The most experienced prospect on Brave 107, the 15-4 flyweight Gavashelishvili will graduate from prospect eligibility once he fights on Saturday. For now though, the 28 year old Gavashelishvili boasts a very respectable record given the level of competition he has faced so far. He has wins over a then 20-7 Mikael Silander in ACA, as well as an at the time undefeated Magomed Idrisov in Brave.
A truly well rounded mixed martial artist, Bidzina Gavashelishvili is comfortable and durable both on the feet and on the ground. He uses his striking well to set up his grappling. His best attribute would be ground control and working in the clinch. He looks very strong in the cage despite his diminutive size, and is able to control larger opponents. Early on in his career there was more excitement, with finishes both on the feet and by snatching arms and necks on the ground. However, as the quality of opponents has ramped up, Gavashelishvili hasn’t been able to find the finish. Sometimes he still looks like he’s really going for it, while other times he looks complacent in winning any way possible.
In his upcoming bout against Luthando “Shorty” Bindo (13-5), he will have a rare size advantage. In order to make best use of that advantage, I would suggest he stay on the feet. He has thrown deadly power shots in the past, and if he taps back into that finishing mentality he is capable of stopping Bindo. Because he needs a stoppage, not just a win, if he wants to grab attention once more from the big time matchmakers out there.
Nikolay Atanasov, 24, 5-0-0, Flyweight
Atanasov enters as the youngest prospect on this list at 24 years old. Undefeated and at 5-0 and with decent size for the division, there’s not much that puts a ceiling on how good this flyweight can get.
While by no means a worldbeater, he is very comfortable on the feets. He has a stiff lead jab, good foot movement, and solid power in both hands. He mixes in leg kicks well, and truly did impress with his mixed approach so early in his career. The Bulgarian prefers to be the aggressor, walking his opponents down and usually throwing first. Where he shines though is in the submission game, as all of 4 his finishes have come via submission. Whether he takes his opponent down or is taken down himself, he is fast and slick on the ground, constantly hunting submissions. The biggest cause for concern I saw in the tape is that he is maybe too comfortable off his back, often hunting submissions over attempting to get back to his feet. This is fine against low level opponents, but could become an issue against experienced grapplers.
He faces a very large test in Magomed Idrisov (12-2), who was once a noted prospect in his own right. Idrisov has power that likely outpaces Atanasov, so while I like Nikolay on the feet, he will likely need to hunt the submission once more in order to pull off the victory. If he does, he will definitely be one to watch going forward.
Owais Yaqoob, 28, 5-1-0, Lightweight
With a record of 5-1 and an age of 28, Owais Yaqoob may not seem like the biggest prospect on the card, but he may very well be the closest fighter to signing with a major promotion like the UFC. Hailing from the Jammu and Kashmir region of India and training under Javier Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy, and Khabib at AKA and in Dagestan, he’s got a lot of things going his way. The UFC has long expressed interest in getting Indian fighters in order to grow their fanbase in the enormous country. Furthermore, training at AKA gives him instant credibility and ties to major organizations. Owais already has massive support from India, and it will be a big deal if he can continue to move up the ranks.
As far as his inside the cage prowess he has shown good offensive grappling and clinch control, throwing brutal knees in the clinch. He is sometimes hesitant on the feet and has a questionable chin, but when he throws, he throws with power. Something that he will need to improve on is disguising his takedowns, as he has a tendency to shoot without throwing any strikes. His best attributes are his cardio and his ground control, but he has a lot to work on if he wants to win against the very best of the regional scene.
His matchup is against Deylan Georgiev (3-0), a former IMMAF champion and a training partner of the great Ilia Topuria. Owais Yaqoob will undoubtedly be an underdog against the Bulgarian, but if he can pull off the upset with all of India in his corner, it would be easy to envision him getting a DWCS call as either a replacement in 2026 or straight up in 2027.
