On Thursday, July 25, BRAVE Combat Federation will touch down in London for BRAVE CF 24. The event has garnered plenty of media attention for its unconventional atmosphere: It is a VIP, invitation-only affair.

“We've seen a huge amount of talk about the event, [and] we have a lot of very important people coming to the show — 250 to 300 elite personalities will attend,” BRAVE President Mohammed Shahid told FloCombat.

The event is headlined by a featherweight title fight between the promotion’s reigning champion, former NCAA DI wrestling champion and Bellator veteran Bubba Jenkins (13-4), and Brazilian UFC veteran Lucas Martins (20-4).

While the action goes on inside the cage, it’s BRAVE’s hope that an impact beyond the thudding of a landed takedown will be felt in the arena. 

“We're coming to London, and that is to change how MMA is looked at by the top, top elites, whether it's the largest banks, the largest conglomerates, and we want to make sure they understand that BRAVE CF and MMA as a whole can bring nations together, can bring the biggest names under one roof and have an event that will make mixed martial arts the sport of the future,” Shahid said. “This is something MMA has never seen before, and the image of the sport will completely change. So we can't evaluate the impact of the event in the sport before it happens, and I'm sure other people will look to take this model to other countries.”

According to Shahid, BRAVE has already received offers from additional countries to host similar events there on the basis of the influential audiences BRAVE appears to have attracted.

As for who will be in attendance, Shahid explained BRAVE’s criteria for earning an invitation: “We wanted people who understood and supported our vision for change, and we wanted to make sure the right names will be there to help with the development we are in search of.”

Making up that group is a wide array of combat sports stars, as well as celebrities, business tycoons, and politicians from myriad nations, says Shahid.

“In the combat sports world, we're looking at some of the names that are famous in the UK, people who have participated in the development of the sport there, and people who are looking to help MMA reach that new level," Shahid said. "We've got guys like Chris Eubank Jr. and Chris Eubank Sr. From the MMA world, we have Brad Pickett, who's a pioneer in MMA. Dan Hardy will be coming as well. We've got Artem Lobov, who is making a name for himself in the combat sports world. There are a lot of people that are going to be there, and we have dignitaries from all over the world, Europe, UK, Asia, Middle East, South America, and Africa. We have politicians from South America coming as well because we have developed a very good relationship there, empowering the sport, tourism, and economy there.

“These are people that understand the vision, and they become a symbol of what MMA can deliver to the world as a sport. Everything is based on that vision, of what BRAVE CF's ethos stands for.”

While BRAVE is inherently focused on providing viewers with an exciting night of mixed martial arts, Shahid added that the outside-of-the-cage effects of the show are a priority, too. 

“The show in London is all about showing the power of mixed martial arts. Let's be clear: We are literally empowering MMA as a sport. One of the biggest things we need to do is [turn] MMA into an actual sports industry. 

“People keep saying this is a sport, and I say, ‘No, it's an event business practicing the sport of mixed martial arts.’ This event is to show that MMA can bring the world together. The sport can bring the world to the host nations, which benefit from having a BRAVE CF event. [It will] show we can bring in 300 of the most elite personalities to enjoy a night of mixed martial arts, and show MMA can help with the development of several areas in a nation and contribute towards the social community,” he continued. “We have a huge charity auction that will be helping the Royal Military Legion, and this is in line with what the sport can contribute to society.”

Ultimately, said Shahid, BRAVE will aim to avoid getting caught up in material goals and showcase the best martial arts has to offer. 

“It's not about going to the media and saying how many pay-per-view buys the event has sold, or gate money, etc. Let's show the real class of mixed martial arts. BRAVE 24 will put MMA in a different class. The sport is not about that: about ‘What I did, what I've bought, what I can do.’ It's about giving, it's about making a positive impact, developing mixed martial arts, and that's what we want MMA to be seen as,” Shahid concluded.