In a preliminary match at UFC 286, British flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokaev faced off against Jafel Filho of Brazil, who was making his career debut. Before his fourth UFC match, “The Punisher” was a -800 favourite in several sportsbooks (third at home). Although “Pastor” put Mokaev through possibly the most difficult test of his career thus far, the battle did not warrant the odds. After trading blows in the first two rounds, Filho caught “The Punisher” in round three with a vicious-looking kneebar. Mokaev narrowly escaped after putting on a tremendous display of tenacity by refusing to tap. With barely a minute remaining in the match, the 22-year-old went on to achieve one of the greatest comeback triumphs of all time by submitting the debutant with a rear-naked choke.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Mokaev has updated us on the injury brought on by the kneebar. The Punisher says he is currently unable to walk and will soon have an MRI. In addition, Mokaev claimed that Filho wore a “metal groyne guard” and uploaded a photo of Filho’s swollen knee. “I will do MRI tomorrow am, I hope it’s everything good, but I can’t walk at the moment but I’m still really delighted with my performance,” he wrote on Twitter.
Did Muhammad Mokaev tap out at UFC 286?
When Muhammad Mokaev defeated Jafel Filho by submission at UFC 286, he increased his perfect record to 17-0. However, the altercation was soon the subject of debate because video appeared to show Mokaev tapping at one point.
The fact that “The Punisher” did not tap to the vicious kneebar that hyperextended his knee is even more perplexing. Late in the first round, as “Pastor” dealt him a few hits to the head from guard, Mokaev submitted.
During his UFC 286 match against Filho, Muhammad Mokaev reported a shoulder injury in the post-fight press conference and even offered to provide “scans” to support his claim. The 22-year-old responded when asked about the contentious first-round tap: “In the first round? Not at all. He tightened the hold after I made a moan, but I was already above his knees. Even though the whole guard appeared to be pretty tight, I was still able to breathe. No, absolutely no.