{"id":9141,"date":"2025-11-04T12:27:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T09:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/?p=9141"},"modified":"2026-03-14T21:08:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T18:08:33","slug":"from-fighter-to-founder-the-courage-behind-brave-cf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/from-fighter-to-founder-the-courage-behind-brave-cf\/","title":{"rendered":"From Fighter to Founder – The Courage Behind Brave CF"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In this exclusive conversation with the Power Up City team, Mohammed Shahid speaks candidly about the evolution of Brave Combat Federation and the values that shaped its rise. He shares lessons drawn from his own journey. From his early struggles as a fighter to his mission of creating a global system that empowers athletes, Shahid\u2019s story is one of vision, conviction, and transformation \u2014 both personal and professional.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Courageous Beginnings<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In the early days of mixed martial arts in Bahrain, opportunity wasn\u2019t handed to anyone easily. For Mohammed Shahid, that meant flying to Thailand just to find fights, learning from scratch, and teaching himself through every bout and bruised lesson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere were no competitions in the region,\u201d Shahid recalls. \u201cSo I had to fly to Thailand to compete and it was not MMA, it was Muay Thai. It\u2019s easier to get a weekly fight to gain knowledge. When I came back, I opened Bahrain\u2019s first MMA gym and then started teaching and competing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His journey began from persistence.With limited resources, he trained, taught, and saved just enough to fund his next flight and had one fight at a time. What he didn\u2019t realize then was that his pursuit would lay the foundation for something far bigger. The rise of a movement that would eventually make Bahrain a global name in combat sports.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Brave or Reckless?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cThere’s only one name we could give this organization. They said it has to be Brave. And there’s nothing else.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Courage, Shahid says, is at the heart of everything he does but courage without preparation is disruption. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have the opportunity, go find it and prepare for it,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s the difference between being brave and being reckless.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

That mindset shaped his path as a fighter and ignited his passion for the sport itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Shahid found an opportunity when he met His Highness Sheikh Khalid (bin Hamad Al Khalifa) at a Desert Force event in 2014. <\/span>\u201cHe knows<\/span><\/i> so much about Mixed Martial Arts, not as a fan, but he knows the inside out of the sport itself.<\/span><\/i> That changed my mind<\/span><\/i>.” His Highness raised a significant question for MMA in Bahrain at that time, <\/span>\u201cHow can we give 200,000 athletes the same opportunities we gave to twenty?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

His Highness wanted to build a team with the purpose <\/span>of \u201creforming the system to give fighters a structure, a lifestyle and a future.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Despite knowing the obstacles that would come with it, Shahid took the challenge<\/span>, \u201cIt\u2019s not an easy task to create an organization. We know that it takes a lot, finance and everything else added to it.\u201d <\/span><\/i>In preparation, \u201c<\/span>We did our homework, we studied and went through the industry really well\u201d. <\/span><\/i>Shahid recalled, \u201dWe didn’t know what the result would be. And I think everything came in together at the right time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

True enough, since its founding in 2016, Brave Combat Federation has grown into <\/span>one of the top MMA organizations in the world<\/b>, hosting events across continents and building a global network that connects fighters, coaches, and communities.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Reaching Brave 100<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This year marks a milestone for <\/span>Brave Combat Federation<\/b> \u2014 its 100th global event, set to unfold in <\/span>Manama, Bahrain<\/b>. For Shahid,it\u2019s a celebration of growth and purpose fulfilled.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Brave reached this landmark moment, Shahid reflected,<\/span> \u201cIt started with a reform to change the system of Combat Sports and bring MMA into the sports business model where you have the franchises, you have the teams, you have a governing body to govern the whole industry.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Never doubting this possibility, he is proud to see young Bahraini athletes carrying the confidence that didn\u2019t exist then. \u201c<\/span>They look like they’re going to dominate every single athlete in front of them.\u201d \u201c You can see a different aura in their energy now.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Among the night\u2019s must-watch bouts mirrors Bahrain\u2019s own MMA journey, <\/span>Hamza Kooheji\u2019s title fight<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans are also buzzing about the long-awaited showdown between <\/span>Mohammed Mokaev<\/b> and <\/span>Gerard Burns<\/b>. This matchup is rich with rivalry, skill, and narrative. Mokaev, returning full circle to Brave after a perfect run, is fighting for the flyweight title in a division that has never crowned a champion in the organization\u2019s history.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Consistent Community Contribution<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While Brave grew on the world stage, Shahid and his team never lost sight of the community that built them. Over the years, Brave has supported different initiatives, including programs for children with special needs.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOne of the most beautiful things we did,\u201d he recalls, \u201cwas during Combat Week, when we invited children with special needs to train alongside our national team. Their teachers said they saw real physical and emotional improvement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

He smiles, recalling one young participant who pointed to a poster of His Highness Sheikh Khalid and said, <\/span>\u2018I want to fight him.\u2019<\/span><\/i><\/p>

\u00a0What began as an innocent challenge turned into a heartwarming moment that captured the spirit of Brave. \u201cHis Highness sent a video saying, \u2018I accept your challenge,\u2019 and during the opening ceremony of the World Championship, that child walked into the cage and lived his dream,\u201d Shahid says. \u201cIt was unforgettable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Inclusion doesn\u2019t stop there. Shahid is also a firm believer that <\/span>women belong at the center of MMA\u2019s growth<\/b>, as athletes, fans, and equal contributors to the sport\u2019s global evolution.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cPeople often think MMA is a male sport,\u201d he says. \u201cBut 47% of combat sports viewership comes from women, no other sport can say that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

He points to icons like <\/span>Ronda Rousey<\/b>, who once rivaled <\/span>Floyd Mayweather<\/b> in pay-per-view sales and global impact, as proof that the sport offers true fairness. \u201cIn MMA, a woman can break the same records a man can. The fastest knockout, whether male or female, can happen in seconds. That\u2019s equality of opportunity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shahid agrees that MMA in Bahrain has grown and reached young athletes, women, or children with special needs, everyone.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Vision for the Youth<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When asked for his message for the young generation. Shahid\u2019s advice is firm,<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThere\u2019s no shortcut. Be committed, be consistent, have discipline, and put in the work,\u201d he says. \u201cThose values are the real victory.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

He points to Hamza Kooheji, Bahrain\u2019s top MMA fighter, as proof of that principle. \u201cHamza said something that stuck with me, winning or losing the title doesn\u2019t matter. What matters is that for ten years, nothing changed in his discipline. That\u2019s his real success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Beyond the Octagon\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Behind the structure and strategy, Mohammed Shahid remains, at heart, a lifelong athlete and a lover of sport in all its forms. His work with <\/span>KHK Sports<\/b> has exposed him to many sports, from\u00a0 e-sports and cricket to rowing but his heart is with football and MMA.<\/span><\/p>\n

He laughs when asked how he balances them. \u201cI\u2019m involved in many sports as part of my job,\u201d he says. \u201cBut from the heart? I would say that football is that high school girlfriend, and \u2018wife\u2019 is MMA now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Football, he explains, was his first love. It is the sport that shaped his sense of teamwork and competition. MMA, on the other hand, became a lifelong commitment. \u201cWhen I miss a football match, it hurts,\u201d he admits. \u201cBut when I\u2019m at a Brave or UFC event, I don\u2019t feel that \u2014 because I\u2019m where I\u2019m meant to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s this blend of heart and discipline that defines Shahid\u2019s personality, two sides of the same that drives excellence.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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In this exclusive conversation with the Power Up City team, Mohammed Shahid speaks candidly about…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_angie_page":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[172,148,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mma","category-people","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9141"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11300,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9141\/revisions\/11300"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}