Bubba Jenkins to defend Brave CF title against Lucas Martins in London

Brave Combat Federation’s debut in English soil will be headlined by featherweight champion Bubba Jenkins and Lucas Martins, multiple sources told MMA Fighting.

Brave CF 24 is scheduled to take place at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on July 25. The show marks Brave’s second-ever trip to United Kingdom following a show in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2018.

The promotion considered booking Jenkins in a superfight with bantamweight king Stephen Loman at either 135 or 145 pounds next, sources said, but ultimately opted for “Bad Man” vs. “Mineiro” instead.

Jenkins (13-4) competed most of his career under the Bellator banner between 2013 and 2016, scoring wins over the likes of Goiti Yamauchi and Jordan Parsons. The 31-year-old fighter captured the Brave CF belt with a five-round decision victory over Elias Boudegzdame last September.

Martins (20-4), who competed in three different weight classes in the UFC, became the Brave interim lightweight champion with a victory over Luan Santiago in April 2018, but lost the belt after injuring his knee in the first round against Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady in November. The Brazilian was riding a four-fight winning streak as a featherweight before moving up to 155 pounds.