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BRAVE Combat Federation’s star talent continues to receive global recognition after super welterweight champion Marcin Bandel was honoured in his home country this past weekend for his success inside the BRAVE CF Arena last year.
Poland’s Bandel received the 2022 Herakles Submission of the Year Award following his incredible armbar win over world-renowned Austrian and top contender Ismail Naurdiev in their BRAVE CF 63 super welterweight world title fight at BRAVE CF 63, in Bahrain, late last year.
The prestigious Herakles - regarded as the ‘Oscar’ of Polish MMA awards - is the highest honour a Polish combat sports athlete can receive from the national sporting council. The ceremony, which took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Warsaw, consisted of different categories, and honored a who’s who of the mixed martial arts scene in Poland, including the likes of Jan Blachowicz, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and Mateusz Gamrot.
The Herakles event follows a stringent process, and selection is based on various factors, including the level of international and local competition faced and rankings climbed. When it comes to the Submission of the Year Award, judges look at the visual aspect of the technique, the degree of difficulty of execution, craftsmanship, finesse, and the pedigree of the submitted rival.
In this regard, Bandel stood tall and shocked the world when he quickly dispatched fan-favourite and former number-two ranked Naurdiev via armbar in less than two minutes of the first round of their five-round title fight.
In the opening exchanges, Naurdiev showcased his lethal striking, cracking Bandel’s jaw with crisp boxing before the Pole thought on his feet, level-changed, and went for a takedown, quickly transitioning to a submission. Naurdiev did well to avoid a deep armbar, shifting over before the experienced Bandel replied with an even tighter attempt at snatching Naurdiev’s arm, forcing the ‘Austrian WonderBoy’ to tap, declaring Bandel the champion of the vacant division and the number one 175-pounder in the world. That submission had earlier earned him a Submission of the Year nomination at the 2022 BRAVE CF Awards.
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