Up-and-coming UFC prospect Muhammad Mokaev managed to gain another victory this past weekend, extending his unbeaten run, after defeating a risky kneebar submit attempt by Jafel Filho.
In the third round of the bout, Filho hyperextended his knee, placing Mokaev, one of the most anticipated prospects in the company, in danger. He nevertheless had to push through the discomfort in order to win the fight via submission a short while later because of his tenacity and willpower.
Recently, Muhammad Mokaev talked openly about his triumph at UFC 286. A little less than a week after the fight, “The Punisher” disclosed the extent of his damage and said that his reluctance to submit only strengthened his resolve.
The 125-pound boxer tweeted:
“Because I didn’t tap, my game has much more confidence now! Even though I’m still using crutches and in pain, my heart feels great right now.
Muhammad Mokaev adresses tapping allegations
At UFC 286, Jafel Filho, who competed against Muhammad Mokaev, claimed that “The Punisher” had tapped out at least three times throughout their match without the referee noticing. Now, Mokaev has refuted these allegations.
The British fighter said: “If I didn’t tap to my knee, do you think I would tap to – what did he say, guillotine, right? ” during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Even the guillotine wasn’t locked. I don’t understand how anyone could think that I would tap to the guillotine. He apologised profusely while his foot was still in my boxers. I said, “All good, all good, let’s go,” when he stopped. What I stated was that. Come on, why would I tap in a spot with nothing there?
With his thrilling victory over Filho at UFC 286, Mokaev improved to 10-0 in the professional sphere. His three submission victories and 4-0 UFC record have propelled him to No. 12 in the flyweight standings.
In order to surpass Jon Jones’ record and become the youngest champion in UFC history, “The Punisher” needs to win the title by the beginning of next year. Later this year, he is anticipated to return.
