On September 7 in Nantes, France we will see Axel Sola (6-0) put his unbeaten MMA record on the line. He’ll do so when locking horns with a fellow undefeated fighter in the form of Vladislav Rudnev (6-0) as they prepare to serve as one of the headline bouts on the main card. Everyone knows that there’s a certain level of pressure that comes with fighting in front of your own people, but given the road that Sola has taken to get here, something tells us he’s ready for this moment.

As a youngster, Sola took part in karate, muay Thai and wrestling alongside a variety of other sports such as hockey. While he enjoyed them, he felt frustrated – realizing that mixed martial arts was the perfect outlet for him to combine everything he’d been learning in one unique package. Sola rarely felt like he had the same interests as others within his gym. MMA was his passion, and it was the kind of route forward that allowed him to feel relaxed and more comfortable within himself.

Alongside his rise to prominence in the fight game, he also did a master’s degree in sport science. From there, he was able to learn how to train athletes and manage rehabilitation after injury, opening the door for the Frenchman to do some coaching. He may only be 25 years old but Sola is the kind of fighter who knows how important it is to be self aware. In the lead-up to his showdown with Rudnev, he’s been improving both his boxing and his wrestling in an attempt to be ready for anything that comes his way.

With three finishes and three decisions under his belt, we’d say that he’s got the perfect pedigree to go out there and put on a show in front of BRAVE nations.