"I want to see face-to-face his energy" - When Muhammad Mokaev demanded apology from Conor McGregor for Irishman's comments on Dagestan
Conor McGregor has angered plenty of fighters throughout his career, and Muhammad Mokaev was one of them. It resulted in the flyweight demanding an apology from the Irishman.
During the former two-division UFC champion's heated rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov, there were plenty of comments made regarding their respective cultures, with many believing that the former crossed the line. 'The Notorious' angered many Dagestani fighters, including Mokaev, who sought an apology.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour in 2021, the unbeaten flyweight sounded off on McGregor for disrespecting Dagestan. He mentioned that he understands that the Irishman is perhaps different behind the cameras and wanted to get a feel on his true feelings. He said:
"I want to see face-to-face his energy, because my managers, everybody talks like he isn't the same like he is in the media. So I just want to feel myself this energy...I want to ask him, why everybody? Just pick the person and tell him. It's not good to call out the whole nation. In Ireland, there's also bad people; there's also good...You cannot say this. This is wrong. He has to apologize about this." [h/t MMA Fighting]
Mokaev's opinion on McGregor is just one example of how polarizing the former two-division UFC champion is. He is almost constantly the target of other fighters and is in the headlines even when he's not competing.
What is Muhammad Mokaev's MMA record?
Muhammad Mokaev has definitely been a flyweight prospect to keep an eye on in the UFC.
The surging contender made his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 204 as an unbeaten 6-0 prospect. He definitely made a great first impression on fans as he earned a submission win over Cody Durden in 58 seconds of the first round.
Since his debut, 'The Punisher' has remained unbeaten in the octagon, winning his following four bouts against Charles Jourdain, Malcolm Gordon, Jafel Filho and Tim Elliott to improve his MMA record to 11-0 (1). What makes his UFC tenure more impressive is that four of his five wins in the octagon have come via submission.