Although Muhammad Mokaev, one of the most promising flyweight prospects in the UFC, is now resting and recovering on the sidelines, he is already setting his sights on booking his next fight against a rated opponent.
Mokaev has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with higher-ranked opponents dodging and avoiding him throughout their bouts. He is undefeated in all four of his bouts inside the octagon, where he now holds the No. 12 spot in the flyweight division’s rankings. Because none of his four opponents in the UFC were ranked, this fact has frequently been brought up when attempting to cast doubt on his record.
In an interview with Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith for the Believe You Me podcast, Mokaev criticized a number of fighters for avoiding a bout with him, including the following:
“It’s quite challenging right now. When I wasn’t rated, I defeated Cody Durden in less than fifty seconds. After that, I defeated LFA champion Charles Johnson, Malcolm Gordon, and Jafel Filho, who had just emerged from the Contender Series. These gentlemen are ten years my senior to me in age. Now that I’m ranked No. 12, people don’t want to fight me, especially other ranked guys. Now ranked guys are telling me, ‘Go have one more fight,’ and then if I beat somebody else, they’re going to say, ‘You’re still beating unranked guys.'” [h/t MMA Junkie]
Muhammad Mokaev issued a challenge to other fighters, asking them to face him and put an end to the apparent ‘buzz’ surrounding him:
“Manel Kape, he declined to engage in combat with me. Even though he is currently rated ninth and has a record of 3-2 in the UFC, he told me, “You’re not on my level.” How can I not be on his level if he was defeated by everyone who was ranked? Additionally, Brandon Royval stated that you are not on my level… Against Charles Johnson, I racked up the most takedowns in the history of the flyweight division in the UFC. So, I think I have these guys beaten, but they always come up with some lame excuse. [h/t MMA Junkie]
Muhammad Mokaev hits back at ‘casual’ fan for calling him ‘boring’
Muhammad Mokaev has an active presence across many social media platforms, particularly on Twitter, where he frequently interacts with his devoted following and replies to their questions and comments.
After being labeled a “boring” fighter in a recent incident, he was forced to remind a fan of his unblemished record and the enthusiasm that his fights include in order to defend himself.
It was written that
“I love these casuals. Three of the four fights in UFC 1 were decided by judges’ decisions, which was the highest number of takedowns in the history of the UFC flyweight division.”
Muhammad Mokaev has competed in the UFC four times and has been awarded one Performance of the Night bonus. In his most recent bout, which was against Jafel Filho, he was subjected to an agonizing knee lock but was still able to win the match.