Tag: Jarrah Al-Silawi

Former BRAVE CF champion Jarrah Al-Silawi joins welterweight cast of PFL Challenger Series

Jarrah Al-Silawi will lead a list of surging welterweight prospects in the second episode of PFL’s new Challenger Series.

[autotag]Jarrah Al-Silawi[/autotag] will lead a list of surging welterweight prospects in the second episode of PFL’s new Challenger Series.

Al-Silawi (16-3), a former BRAVE CF super welterweight champion, will take part in PFL Challenger Series 2, which features welterweights including NCAA wrestling standout [autotag]Mark Martin[/autotag] and LFA 170-pound champion [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] (14-3).

Also taking part in the welterweight episode is returning Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace [autotag]Lucas Barbosa[/autotag] (2-1), [autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (7-1), [autotag]Michael Lilly[/autotag] (7-6), [autotag]Troy Green[/autotag] (4-1) and [autotag]Socrates Pierre[/autotag] (12-6).

PFL’s new Challenger Series officially kicks off Feb. 18 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., with light heavyweights on tap for Episode 1. The second episode takes place a week later.

The new series airs exclusively on Fubo Sports Network and sees athletes gunning for a PFL contract that could either serve as a developmental deal or see them enter directly into the promotion’s regular season and its $1 million prize. One fighter each week will earn the contract.

Jordan’s Al-Silawi headlines the welterweight talent. Winner of 11 of his past 12, two-time BRAVE CF champ Al-Silawi holds notable wins and finishes over UFC welterweight Carlston Harris, French prospect Abdoul Abdouraguimov and ex-UFC welterweight Ismail Naurdiev.

Al-Silawe explained he wanted to get his feet wet before entering the 2022 season and the PFL Challenger Series is the perfect opportunity for him to do that.

“I’m excited to compete for the PFL before the season,” Al-Silawi told MMA Junkie. “The plan was to join the season right away, but this fight in February, I wanted to take. I’m very excited for my first fight in the PFL. I prepared very well for the fight. I’ve been training for a while, so God willing, this fight will be different.

“It’s my first time to go to America and fight there, so I’m very excited for that. It’s a different place. I’m also excited to show everyone the level in the Middle East. I always say we don’t have too many fighters in the Middle East, but we carry a message. We want to prove to the world that we can compete at the highest level, and this is a big opportunity for me to prove this point.”

PFL signs BRAVE CF welterweight champion Jarrah Al-Silawi

Jarrah Al-Silawi is widely regarded as one of the best fighters to come out of the Middle East.

BRAVE CF welterweight champion [autotag]Jarrah Al-Silawi[/autotag] will be taking his talents Stateside.

Widely regarded as one of the best fighters to come out of the Middle East, Jordan’s Al-Silawi (16-3) has signed with PFL and is expected to take part in next season’s welterweight tournament, Al-Silawi announced on the “Hosheh MMA” podcast Thursday morning. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie.

BRAVE CF also released a statement confirming that they’ve amicably parted ways with their champion, thanking him for all his years in the promotion.

“The Jordanian Lion” is expected to make his promotional debut in a non-regular season bout at next month’s 2021 PFL Championship event, which takes place Oct. 27 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

Al-Silawe, a two-time BRAVE CF welterweight champ, has won 11 of his past 12 and is coming off a second-round TKO title defense against ex-UFC fighter Ismail Naurdiev at BRAVE CF 50 in April. The 29-year-old also holds a win over current UFC welterweight Carlston Harris, knocking him out in the first round to claim the BRAVE CF welterweight title in 2018.

Brave CF 50: Welterweight champ Jarrah Al-Silawi happy to show his talents on Middle East stage

Brave CF welterweight champion Jarrah Al-Silawi is happy to continue proving that he can compete with the best.

Brave CF welterweight champion [autotag]Jarrah Al-Silawi[/autotag] is happy to continue proving that he can compete with the best.

Al-Silawi (15-3) meets former UFC fighter Ismail Naurdiev (20-4) in the main event of Brave CF 50, which takes place Thursday at The National Stadium in Riffa, Bahrain.

“The Jordanian Lion” is accustomed to facing elite-level competition. Having won 10 of his past 11 bouts, Al-Silawi holds finishes over the likes of newly signed UFC welterweight Carlston Harris, Cage Warriors’ David Bear and former Brave CF champ Abdoul Abdouraguimov.

In facing someone like Naurdiev, who went 2-2 in his UFC tenure with wins over Michel Prazeres and Siyar Bahadurzada, Al-Silawi is excited for another stern test.

“I’ve beaten guys that have gone onto the UFC,” Al-Silawi told MMA Junkie. “The fact that he’s an ex-UFC fighter gives me an opportunity to prove that I can beat any fighter that comes from any organization. Ismail has a great record and was in the UFC and that just gives me motivation and reason to beat him.”

He continued, “Honestly, I didn’t know who he was. But I looked him up and I saw that he has a great record, he’s had fights in the UFC, everyone knows who he is, so that’s why I liked this fight.”

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Al-Silawi has spent the second half of his camp in Dubai due to the COVID-19 restrictions in his home country of Jordan. He got the opportunity to train with the likes of Gokhan Saki and ONE Championship title challenger Timofey Nastyukhin and is confident in his preparation ahead of his first title defense. With various knockouts, submissions and decision wins on his resume, Al-Silawi said he’s comfortable wherever the fight goes.

“He (Naurdiev) has a really nice style, he’s a really good fighter, but we studied him really well,” Al-Silawi said. “I know how to make him uncomfortable in the cage. The fight will be really tough for him, and I’ve got a big surprise in store for him. I’m used to prevailing against some of the best fighters, I always compete against the best, and I’m always full of surprises. I always beat the odds. I prepared really well for this fight, I’m really amped up, and I’m expecting it to be a really big fight.”

He continued, “I can submit him or knock him out. That’s what separates me from the rest. I don’t just have one style. I have the total package so it can end by knockout or submission.”

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Al-Silawi was scheduled to defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev in April, but the pandemic forced the event in Sweden to be canceled. Chimaev then went on to sign with the UFC and subsequently took the octagon by storm. Al-Silawi admits that he was a little disappointed that the fight slipped away.

“The fight fell through like 15, 20 days before,” Al-Silawi said. “The camp was there, I prepared for Khamzat, and I was really looking forward to the fight, but the fight didn’t happen. Of course, this was one of the fights I was most pumped up for. I had a great game plan, but it didn’t happen.”

With the UFC making numerous trips to “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, we’ve seen the likes of Middle East-based fighters Mounir Lazzez and Ali Al-Qaisi get signed, which raised eyebrows as to why Al-Silawi hasn’t followed suit. But the two-time Brave CF welterweight champ, who’s widely considered one of the best fighters to ever come out of the Arab region, has recently re-signed a multi-fight deal with the Bahrain-based promotion and said he is happy with his current status with the company.

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“I’ve competed against some of the best fighters,” Al-Silawi said. “I even used to welcome any newly signed prospect to the organization. I was the Arab fighter that used to welcome the best fighters, but right now I’m under a contract with Brave CF. I’m very comfortable with Brave, which is why I’m not currently thinking about the UFC. I like the message Brave is putting out there, which is giving the Arab fighters an opportunity to prove that they’re the best and that they can compete against the highest level, so I’m happy where I’m at.”

Brave CF 50: Super welterweight champion Jarrah Al-Silawi set for Ismail Naurdiev test on April 1

Super welterweight champion Jarrah Al-Silawi will take on former UFC prospect Ismail Naurdiev in the main event of Brave CF 50.

Brave CF super welterweight champion [autotag]Jarrah Al-Silawi[/autotag] will be taking on an ex-UFC prospect.

Al-Silawi (15-3) is set to defend his title against [autotag]Ismail Naurdiev[/autotag] (20-4) in the main event of Brave CF 50, which takes place April 1 in Bahrain. Brave CF officials announced the news Wednesday morning after an initial report from “Hosheh MMA.”

Jordan’s Al-Silawi is regarded as one of the best fighters to come out of the Middle East and North African region. The two-time Brave CF champion has won nine of his past 10, including finishes of Abdoul Abdouraguimov, Carlston Harris, and David Bear. He most recently defeated Melvin van Suijdam via unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight bout in October.

Russian-born, Austrian-based Naurdiev went 2-2 in his UFC tenure, picking up wins over Michel Prazeres and Siyar Bahadurzada. After departing the UFC in March 2020, the 24-year-old picked up a unanimous decision over Tymoteusz Lopaczyk at EMC 5 in September.

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