The Muhammad Mokaev UFC exit story won’t die, and the undefeated and disregarded flyweight is part of why his separation from the promotion is still being discussed.
During the post-event press conference following the premiere episode of the eighth season of Dana White Contenders Series on Tuesday, Aug. 13, the UFC President was asked to confirm one of Mokaev’s claims following his public release.
Longtime MMA writer John Morgan asked White if Mokaev had asked if he could fight in the UFC for free to prove he was still worthy of being a part of the organization. White denied it, saying, “Nobody is fighting for free.”
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Mokaev said he would fight for free, but according to White, that isn’t true.
To sum up Mokaev’s position and potentially putting an end to the conversation around him and the UFC–at least for now, White added:
“I wasn’t involved in any of the stuff that happened with him. The matchmakers and Hunter were and they weren’t happy with him. They weren’t happy with the way he acted. They weren’t happy with a lot of the things he did and said. I guess you can look back now and regret it, but you did it. You did it, and you put yourself in this position.”
Here is a look at the presser video:
Mokaev admitted to baiting his opponent Manel Kape into taking a picture with him at a hotel only to sucker punch him. Fellow flyweight Steve Erceg said that Mokaev was verbally abusive to UFC staff members, which seemingly aligns with what White said about the Dagestani fighter when he discussed his departure from the promotion.
White also said the matchmakers weren’t fond of Mokaev’s heavy wrestling style. Despite being 23 years old and undefeated, Mokaev was forced to find a secondary promotion to sign with, as the Professional Fighters League said they had no interest in signing him.
Multiple MMA fighters, including UFC featherweight contender and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, didn’t agree with the UFC’s decision to cut ties with Mokaev.
Sterling called it unfair and said Mokaev “more than deserved a second chance.” It is strange to see such a young and successful fighter cut for bad behavior when the promotion has tolerated many missteps from others.
Hopefully, Mokaev’s fighting style isn’t a significant factor in the decision to cut him. The UFC could be playing a dangerous game by putting such an emphasis on finishes. While no one will dispute that finishes are more exciting ways to end fights, it’s not a good idea to pressure fighters to chase the KO or submission if that begins to become more important than simply winning the bout.
Ultimately, it’s still a sport; in sports, wins and losses should be the ultimate judge of success and failure.
Mokaev recently said he had signed with a promotion, but didn’t give an organization. He also claimed to have received interest from Brave CF, Rizin, PFL, Karate Combat, and ACA.
Mokaev made it clear that his goal is to get back to the UFC. Wherever he signs, he’ll be signing with the promotion that can fast-track him back to the world’s No. 1 MMA promotion.
We’ll see if White and Co. ever allow him to have a second chance or if they make a permanent example out of him.
