Did Dana White fire Muhammad Mokaev? CEO reveals fighter's grim fate despite UFC 304 win
UFC CEO Dana White recently revealed that undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev will not be re-signed by the promotion. Despite a dominant unanimous decision victory over Manel Kape at UFC 304, which extended Mokaev's perfect professional record to 7-0, White indicated that the 23-year-old's future lies elsewhere.
White was noticeably cold in his assessment of Mokaev's performance and his future with the UFC. Speaking to the media in the UFC 304 post-fight presser, White said:
"The matchmakers aren't big fans of his [Muhammad Mokaev] , For many different reasons. Not just takedowns. There's a lot of people who shoot takedowns in this business, a lot of guys that fight with that type of style. But it's a lot more than just that. [Mokaev is] not under contract anymore. I think the PFL is gonna get a great, undefeated guy. Good luck to him."
Check out Dana White's comment below:
Muhammad Mokaev reveals reason behind UFC not wanting to re-sign him
Since joining the promotion in Nov. 2021, Muhammad Mokaev has amassed an undefeated record, showcasing exceptional grappling and submission skills.
Mokaev's UFC journey commenced with a spectacular first-round submission victory over Cody Durden. Subsequent wins over Charles Johnson, Malcolm Gordon, and Jafel Filho solidified his position as a rising star.
His impressive run continued with a highlight-reel arm triangle submission against Tim Elliott, earning him a Performance of the Night bonus. Building on this momentum, Mokaev secured a unanimous decision victory over Alex Perez.
However, the performance did not sit well with UFC matchmakers, who have previously expressed their preference for more stand-up-oriented fights according to the Russian-born Brit.
He revealed that the UFC had previously warned him about potential contract issues if he continued to rely heavily on wrestling.
''They said they're gonna see how I perform, they don't want me to keep shooting and taking people down, but I've done what I could do with like tonight... They don't like this because they tried to get rid of flyweights before and they don't want this kind of fights.''
Check out Muhammad Mokaev's comments below: