Afghan prospect Rahmatullah Yousufzai is ready to wage war against Filipino fighter Jenel Lausa in BRAVE Combat Federation next week.
Yousufzai said he will banking on his own striking to match the explosive fighting style of the Filipino UFC veteran when they clash in their flyweight bout in BRAVE CF 47: Asian Domination on March 11.
"Anything can happen inside the cage. I believe that I have the ability to match whatever he throws at me on fight night,” said Yousufzai. "He is a more experienced fighter than I am. But I am ready for war. I have watched his fights. He is good and tough, but I know what to do against him and I know what I am capable of."
Yousufzai earned the 2020 BRAVE CF Knockout of the Year award after stunning Bahrain's Abdulmanap Magomedov in just 42 seconds in his BRAVE debut last September.
Prior to BRAVE, the undefeated Afghan pride earned three straight victories in 2018 for an overall 4-0 record.
For Yousufzai, facing a veteran like Lausa will be his way to prove his worth as a mixed martial arts fighter, considering it as a "very important" bout for his career in the hopes of a crack at the belt someday.
"I will be ready for anything. I know he will try to mix it up because he knows that I am a striker. But if he wants to trade for three whole rounds, I am one hundred percent prepared. I know I can get the best out of the exchanges."
Lausa, for his part, last saw action in the Octagon in June 2018 and suffered defeat at the hands of Japanese foe Yuta Sasaki in UFC Fight Night 132. The 32-year-old Filipino bet, who holds a 7-5 record, is hoping for a career turnaround in the Bahrain-based promotion.
BRAVE CF 47: Asian Domination will be headlined by a lightweight world title eliminator between Filipino star Rolando Dy, son of boxing legend Rolando Navarrete, and Abdisalam Kubanychbek of Kyrgyzstan.