Brave’s Eldar Eldarov wants to fight champion Ottman Azaitar
Eldar Eldarov: “2019 is the year for KHK MMA. I would like to fight for the lightweight title and hope I will bring the lightweight title to Bahrain.”
Brave Combat Federation lightweight Eldar Eldarov has lost just once, to Khabib Nurmagomedov. He’s currently training at KHK MMA gym, coaching the national team of Bahrain for the IMMAF world championships, and appears to be in the best shape of his life.
The world-class wrestler and sambist is a perfect 3-0 in Brave, most recently defeating Holland’s Brian Hooi in the main event of Brave 12 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Dagestan’s ‘Khan’ said afterward that he would like to fight for championship gold.
Along with Luan Santiago and Abdul Kareem Al Selwady, Eldarov is among the top contenders of the division headed by champion Ottman Azaitar and interim champion Lucas Martins. Recently Al Selwady stated his willingness to face Azaitar. However, Azaitar has yet to respond to a potential confrontation against Al Selwady, or with Eldarov.
It is alleged that Ottman, youngest of the three mighty Azaitar brothers, chooses fights that he is certain of winning, and avoids tougher opponents. Detractors cite as evidence that at Brave 14, in front of a hometown crowd in Morrocco, Azaitar fought Danijel Kokora instead of Martins, and earned a thrilling but relatively easy win.
“2019 is the year for KHK MMA,” said Eldarov at Brave Global Expansion 2018 in Bahrain. “I would like to fight for the lightweight title and hope I will bring the lightweight title to Bahrain.”
Author Rebecca Keegan reported on the story in person at KHK MMA in Manama, Bahrain.