AMMAN: Jarrah Al-Silawi, “The Jordanian Lion,” is returning to Brave CF after a stint with the Professional Fighters League in the US.
Al-Silawi, considered a pioneer of Arab mixed martial arts, was a double-division world champion with Brave CF before his departure for the PFL.
After three wins and three losses during his PFL stint, the 31-year-old is now returning at Brave CF 80 to face Nenad Avramovic in the co-main event on Dec. 15 at Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, Bahrain.
In an interview with Arab News, Al-Silawi said: “It’s a long time in-between bouts with the PFL, and I have a great relationship with Brave CF. I thought it’d be a good opportunity to compete again in front of my people and my crowd, and it’s something I look forward to.”
The fighter initially had a meteoric rise through the rankings in Brave, but is now experiencing, for the first time, a substantial period of adversity. He believes he has made the adjustments to embark on another successful title run.
“I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the things that I did wrong in the last few bouts. I’ve been working on getting better,” Al-Silawi explained. “I’ve worked on improving my technique, and I feel like I’m on a different level. At this point, I feel like I’ve improved significantly, and I look forward to showing that and this coming up.”
Reflecting on his missed opportunity against undefeated UFC star Khamzat Chimaev in 2020, Al-Silawi remains confident in his abilities. “I still feel that my game is bad for wrestlers. They typically don’t like to fight me. I’m very good at defending takedowns and I like to pressure with my striking. I still believe that I would have beaten him in that fight.”
Known for his spectacular performances, Al-Silawi has won 40 percent of his bouts by knockout. Looking ahead to his clash with Avramovic, who is on a five-fight winning streak, Al-Silawi predicts a second-round knockout: “One of us has got to go to sleep in this one, and I’m pretty sure it’s him. I plan on really defending the takedown, and I predict a second-round KO.”
“I feel like I’ve gotten better experience. I plan on using all of this for what’s to come. It’s a new beginning, and there’s a lot of fight left in me,” he said.
As a fighter born, trained and residing in the Middle East, Al-Silawi sees himself as an example for the new generation of Arab fighters.
“I remind myself that there are always younger athletes who are watching, and it’s great for them to see what an Arab can achieve coming out of the region,” Al-Silawi said. “When I finish, I want to be able to really show what Arabs can achieve and show the younger generation that someone from a place like Amman, Jordan, was able to compete against some major names on the international stage.”
