During 2020, Arab MMA fighters dominated in every major promotion in the world. This was evident during the expansion of the UFC to the Middle East. Multiple Arab MMA fighters stepped in to showcase the potential of athletes from the region. But it will be tough for most athletes from the region to surpass the legacy of Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi (14-3-0).
Jarrah is among the pioneers of the sport in the region and is a constant main event presence. He has faced the biggest names in the region throughout his career. Currently, he is the reigning and defending welterweight champion of the BRAVE Combat Federation. The ‘Jordanian Lion’ was set to defend his championship against Khamzat Chimaev in Sweden. However, Chimaev made his move to the UFC becoming a global sensation. Al-Silawi will make his return to face Melvin van Suijdam in the main event of BRAVE CF 43, in Bahrain set for 1st October 2020.
What makes Jarrah Al-Silawi truly unique is that he is born, raised, and trained in the Kingdom of Jordan throughout his career. Trained by Ali Altamri and Samy Aljamal, he proved that Arab MMA fighters have the best resources to shape their careers and compete globally. Al-Silawi became the first champion from the Kingdom of Jordan when he claimed the title from Carlston Harris at BRAVE 16 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Apart from dominance inside the cage, Jarrah Al-Silawi commands the most loyal fanbase in the entire Arab world. During BRAVE 23, his fans went ahead with a full-fledged riot soon after the inexperienced judges made an error awarding a split decision loss to Jarrah Al-Silawi. Al-Silawi was clearly dominating all the rounds and the gross blunder was easily pointed out resulting in the judges being chased from a packed venue. The protest went too far ahead that fans had to be arrested and removed from the scene.
The most significant aspect that sets Jarrah Al-Silawi aside is his ability to strategize the game plan and to execute them with perfection. The textbook example will be his rematch against Abdoul Abdouraguimov. He neutralized the world class grappler by methodically taking away his greatest skills and picking his opponent at range. When he faced David Bear at BRAVE 10, Al-Silawi was resilient to stick to the battle plan to finish his opponent with a mere 4 seconds left in the clock. It is always worth to watch the Jordanian lion in action.
The Jordanian made welterweight champion has defeated athletes from 10 nations throughout his career all while having his camp in Jordan. He had faced the biggest names in the Arab MMA world throughout his career. The upcoming fight at BRAVE 43 marks the 9th appearance for Al-Silawi at the BRAVE Combat Federation making him the Arab MMA fighter with the most number of appearances with the promotion.
Currently, Al-Silawi is training alongside the finest warriors in the Arab MMA world, including the UFC Fight of the Night winning debutant – Mounir Lazzez. At 28-years of age, Jarrah is at his prime and dominant at the top of the welterweight division of BRAVE Combat Federation. He had proved against wrestlers, grapplers, and boxers in the past. Melvin van Suijdam will pose a new threat as a kickboxer which will force the Jordanian welterweight to dig up his Muay Thai skills.
Jarrah Al-Silawi has much to prove to let his exploits talk for himself. The champion will be looking for more than a win to satisfy his appetite for glory and to enchant his fans with yet one more epic fight. He had earlier made it clear that the UFC sensation, Khamzat Chimaev is still on his radar. The two were supposed to clash at Sweden for the welterweight title held by Al-Silawi.
Lately, Al-Silawi weighed the chance for a trilogy against Mohammad Fakhreddine. Fakhreddine is currently the Middleweight champion at BRAVE Combat Federation. He claimed the title making it relevant again when he set his opponent to silent mode with a vicious TKO, straight out of a superhero movie.
The trilogy will also open doors for a champion v.s champion clash with world titles on the line. With the finest from Jordan facing the legendary Lebanese champion, BRAVE Combat Federation could set itself for the greatest showdown in the Arab world.
Full Fight Card: BRAVE 43
Hari Bhagirath is the former Chief Creative Officer at BRAVE Combat Federation. Currently, he heads Strategic Relations and Financial Communication for a major Fortune 100 organization. He is also the co-founder of Totem Capital, a private wealth management initiative.