MOHAMMAD FARHAD'S VICTORY over Kushal Vyas was one of the highlights of BRAVE 30.
The fight lasted under a minute with Farhad landing two leg kicks on Kushal, earning a win via TKO.
Farhad was originally scheduled to fight Rana Rudra Pratap but just days ahead of the fight the bout was cancelled and Kushal stepped in on short notice to take on Farhad in Hyderabad.
Speaking to TFG after the victory, Farhad said he wasn't concerned with facing a different opponent on short notice; but there were other elements in the lead-up to the bout that differed from his usual preparations,
"This time I trained for the fight in India itself. I had a crew from Thailand but this time it was done in India because there was some confusion with BRAVE over the event. Before they said to us, the fight was on the 30th. But later they said it was on the 23rd. So I didn't expect this from a world class promotion actually. I was shocked, and I ended up not getting my visa because it was during the Diwali. So I had to do it all in India... luckily I had Kuru Parang to do it with me. My training times were morning 8 am to 9:30, in the afternoon 12:30 to 3:30 pm then again late evening from 8 to 10 pm. Training with strict diet. That's how I got ready for this fight."
Farhad, however, was delighted to have the opportunity to fight at a high level that BRAVE CF afforded him,
"I feel fortunate to be a part of BRAVE, it's a world class promotion. I get to work with some wonderful people and represent my country."
With this win, Farhad's professional MMA record progressed to 11 wins and 3 losses. The Mumbai-based Bantamweight has been actively competing professionally for years and he's been with BRAVE since its very first event.
Speaking about how the Mixed Martial Arts landscape has changed in the last few years, Farhad said,
"The MMA scene in India is growing pretty fast. Thank God for that. Now people are recognizing what MMA is. It used to be that people in Mumbai didn't even know what Muay Thai was. And when I started in Mixed Martial Arts people didn't know much about that either. I have been a part of the fight scene here for a decade, and doing MMA for more than five years. Now we have a growing fanbase for the sport. I think it will grow big time. The fighters who hold Indian passport will have good opportunities in the near future."
Asked what he wanted to do next, Farhad said he was looking to prove himself at the highest possible level,
"The aim is to keep improving myself and fight for the world championship belt. And all MMA fighters have an aim to fight for the biggest promotion in the world. So let's see, I am trying to achieve those goals with the help of God."
He remained hopeful about the future generations of Indian fighters finding success in MMA, and had some advice for the young prospects looking to enter the sport as a professional,
"I'd really love to help train this current generation of amateur fighters because they are the future of India. I'd say to the youngsters coming to the sport today, don't jump into MMA straight away. Improve your base be it grappling or kickboxing. You can improve those, maybe become a champion there. Then you can step into MMA and supplement your base sport with other disciplines that are a part of MMA. I want Indian MMA fighters to get educated. I don't want them to leave their studies just because they're attracted to the sport and they want to fight. Every day you have to train but you should complete your education and keep MMA as a secondary element of pursuation in the beginning before you even consider making it a profession."
Farhad is now on a 2 fight win streak, having beaten Amr Abdel Malek in Kumite 1 League last year. He's fought only once per year in 2018 and 2019, but said he was looking to be more active in 2020 to better utilize the momentum he has in his career right now.