Super Lightweight star and the first-ever Olympic athlete to fight for BRAVE CF, Mahmoud Sebie has shared how his mixed martial arts journey has re-ignited his passion for competition, as he readies to get back into it when he takes on Oussema Zeidi, next week, at BRAVE CF 71, in Bahrain.
“Wrestling was not exciting to me anymore. I wanted to do something that woke me up in the morning. I was involved in wrestling for more than 17 years, so I came to a point where I wanted to do something closely associated with wrestling but where I learned more. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know everything in wrestling, nobody knows everything, but I wanted more of a challenge, and there’s a wide variety of dynamics involved in this beautiful sport of mixed martial arts”
says Sebie, who makes his third showing in BRAVE CF after two dominant performances at BRAVE CF 67 and 69.
Sebie was one of Egypt’s star Greco-Roman athletes, but after the Olympics, things went a little south. After facing issues at home, he focused on his training in the United States, where he currently resides.
It was a dark time for Sebie, who was considering bringing the curtain down on his sporting career. But deep down, the “Prince of Egypt” always knew he was a natural competitor. He then opted to remain active in wrestling, keeping his options open. At the time, he had been training with Team USA’s Olympic wrestling group, however, after the Covid-19 pandemic hit and subsequently delayed the Tokyo Olympics, Sebie just grew tired of all the issues he was facing within wrestling and decided to walk away.
Not long after, a friend convinced him to take up MMA, to which he obliged. Since he transitioned, the 30-year-old ‘Prince of Egypt’ has established himself as one with a bright future despite his lack of experience inside the cage.
In six fights, he has racked up four wins and two losses in some of the biggest promotions in the world.
“I love the learning process involved in mixed martial arts, the skills and drills. The more work you put in, the closer you get to your goal. And the crazy part is, it’s paying off more than wrestling. What I make in a fight now, I didn’t even make in my entire wrestling career,” said Sebie with a giggle.
“Let me just clear the air though, the Olympics was the biggest moment of my life, I think it’s the pinnacle of any sporting person’s life.
“It’s the biggest event in the world, and every TV channel from every country is there streaming it. That pressure of knowing the world is watching your every move added to why I loved it so much, and that is why I am so grateful I found mixed martial arts too, because it’s not only as competitive and high-pressure as wrestling, it’s rewarding in so many aspects as well.
“BRAVE Combat Federation gives me a platform to perform, and people are excited to watch me.
“How they celebrate my victories at BRAVE CF, this makes me happy, the competitiveness of it and knowing the world is watching you is incredible. It makes me so happy knowing I am changing this sport now. In the past, most individuals were watching soccer, and now I can make them sit in a coffee shop and watch me fight. This is crazy. I feel like the man of the moment. Yes, the money is good, but it’s about more than money and fame. I have everything I need in my life. Like wrestling, MMA is about legacy and history for me, and that is what drives me. I just pray God protects me and keeps me on the right path as I am enjoying what I am doing,” added Sebie.
BRAVE CF 71: PLEASE FIND ALL PROMOTIONAL ASSETS FOR MEDIA USE HERE
BRAVE CF 71 full fight card:
Main Card
Featherweight: Omar Solomanov vs Ilyar Askhanov
Bantamweight: Velimurad Alkhasov vs Nicholas Hwende
Super Lightweight: Abbas Khan vs Omar Hussein
Super Lightweight: Mahmoud Sebie vs Oussama Zeidi
Preliminary Card
Lightweight: Ramazan Gitinov vs Abderrahman Errachidy
Super Lightweight: Khamzat Maaev vs Elias Farah
Flyweight: Maysara Mohamed vs Ruel Panales
Bantamweight: Abdullah Al-Yaqoob vs Kenneth Maningat
