After seven fights with the promotion, British MMA fighter Muhammad Mokaev’s days in the UFC are done. Despite winning his flyweight fight against Manel Kape, a fight many considered a flyweight title eliminator, the aftermath of UFC 304 in Manchester saw UFC CEO Dana White make a surprising decision.
In an unexpected move, White released Muhammad Mokaev from his contract, announcing it in the post-fight press conference.
“He’s not under contract anymore. I think the PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy. Good luck to him,” White said, declaring the fighter an independent agent.
The reasons behind this abrupt decision remain unclear, adding to the intrigue surrounding the situation. In light of this, an MMA-oriented Instagram page @knockoutalerts claimed to have uncovered the reason behind the UFC and Dana White’s decision to sideline Mokaev despite his undefeated record.
The post mentioned, “Mokaev’s relationship with the UFC was going downhill after talks of another contract. I was informed that win or lose against Manel Kape, the UFC wouldn’t extend his contract and would let Muhammad Mokaev test free agency.”
However, as a final nail in the coffin, the UFC informed the panelists who set the ranking that Mokaev was no longer eligible for the rankings as the promotion was not going to re-sign him. “If you have already completed your rankings, we please ask that you log back in and re-evaluate the flyweight division,” the notice read. Currently, UFC rankings mention Mokaev in the 6th place, but soon, that might not be the case.
For the past few weeks, Muhammad Mokaev has been a thorn in the UFC matchmakers’ path. His recent viral altercation with Manel Kape in a hotel lobby, days before UFC 304, escalated tensions between the two fighters. Renowned coach Eric Nicksick, a witness to the incident, revealed its severity in an interview, warning about potential career-damaging consequences. Now, it seems these words have become prophetic.
Apparently, Mokaev got close to Kape in the guise of taking a picture with him. However, he would then slap the Portuguese star, which set off an altercation. This account of things was verified by Mokaev himself in the post-fight presser, saying he did it to make it clear he was not going to be bullied. Needless to say, this sucker punch incident did not go down well with the fans or the UFC brass.
To make matters worse, his wrestling-heavy style was frowned upon by many. Mokaev said, “They said they’re gonna see how I perform, they don’t want me to keep shooting and taking people down.” The 23-year-old further added, “I tried to put striking together first time in my career. I was standing in my 3 rounds with the best flyweight striker.”
White added during the press conference that Muhammad Mokaev was not the matchmakers’ favorite either. Was he declining fights? Or was it difficult to find stylistic matchups for the Dagestani? Either way, they decided to get rid of his services after UFC 304.
The post by @knockoutalerts on Instagram caught the attention of the fans, who criticized Mohammad Mokaev but also questioned Dana White and the UFC’s decision to release the fighter from his contract. After all, the fighter had a spotless 13-0 record.
Did the UFC make the right call dropping Muhammad Mokaev? Fans debate!
Fans in the comments largely criticized Muhammad Mokaev’s wrestling style, claiming it had become less effective in recent years compared to the other UFC wrestlers. One fan wrote, “that him being a dirty fighter and also not an entertaining wrestler like Aljo or Belal. He has like no moments of excitement in his past 3.”
Even UFC superstar Conor McGregor chimed in on the issue. He was in favor of White’s decision and commented on Instagram, “They can have him.”
Well, there may be some merit to this argument, as his fights have lacked big moments. However, does this mean his undefeated 13-0 record (two wins via KO/TKO, six via submissions, and five via decisions) holds no merit? Echoing similar sentiments, a fan commented, “got nothing to do with his wrestling style because he’s not the only boring wrestler in the UFC.”
Another fan called Muhammad Mokaev a troublemaker, referencing the recent altercation with Manel Kape in the hotel lobby. “It’s more that he’s a troublemaker, sucker punched Kape, tore his shorts, has issued at ufc Pl and is hard to deal with.”
Well, this also reminds us of Conor McGregor’s shenanigans inside and outside the UFC. Remember the things that happened leading up to his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov? The promotion had a tough time keeping up with him. We doubt Mokaev’s issues could have been worse than that!
No doubt, some fans questioned the decision:
- Bad call from Dana ngl.“
- “I think that’s why he ramped up the trash talk and bad blood.”
What are your thoughts on the removal of Muhammad Mokaev from the UFC roster? Do you think Dana White and the matchmakers made the right decision? Let us know in the comments.