Mohammad Fakhreddine ’s 2020 started out in horror but ended in triumph. A pioneer of mixed martial arts in the Middle East, Fakhreddine had to overcome his house burning down, canceled bouts, injuries, and last year’s devastating explosion in his native Lebanon amidst the COVID-19 pandemic before realizing his dream of becoming BRAVE CF middleweight champion in September 2020. But Fakhreddine’s goals didn’t end there. The former two-weight Desert Force champion was looking to replicate his dual-champ status on the international stage, but the road only wound up getting harder for the 37-year-old. Scheduled to face Mohamed Said Maalem (11-3) for the vacant light heavyweight title at BRAVE CF 50 this past April, Fakhreddine (14-4) was forced to withdraw just two hours before the fight due to a viral stomach infection that left him hospitalized. “When I got there, I got there on a Sunday, and Monday I started having problems with my stomach,” Fakhreddine told MMA Junkie