Muhammad Mokaev believes Brandon Royval's injury makes him No.1 flyweight contender, says champ Alexandre Pantoja is nothing "special"
Muhammad Mokaev is set to return to the octagon when he faces Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238 this weekend. The No.8-ranked flyweight recently weighed in on the division's title picture, while making his case for the next chance to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the belt.
Speaking at the media day for the event, 'The Punisher' stated:
"I have trained with Pantoja after my debut and I haven't seen anything special in him that he has a priority in skill advantage. This morning, he actually said he would like to fight me if I beat Alex Perez instead of Brandon Royval. Brandon Royval, I think he has ACL [injury]. Brandon Moreno is 0-3 against Pantoja, Royval 0-2 against Pantoja."
He continued:
"[Manel] Kape is probably going to have one more fight because he didn't make weight last fight. [Amir] Albazi is injured. Kai Kara-France has a concussion because when I asked to fight him, Mick [Maynard] said he's got a concussion so he won't be able to fight you. Now, I'm the only challenger, but I have to beat Alex Perez in an impressive way."
Check out Muhammad Mokaev's comments on the flyweight title picture below:
Muhammad Mokaev noted that he would be prepared for a ten-week turnaround to compete at UFC 301 when Alexandre Pantoja reportedly plans to defend his flyweight title. He shared that his experience in his amateur career has prepared him to fight every weekend.
While 'The Punisher' believes he is the only logical title challenger, he acknowledges the fact that he will need a statement win and a finish to earn a title shot.
Alexandre Pantoja weighs in on Muhammad Mokaev's title shot
Muhammad Mokaev may have the opportunity to fight for an undisputed flyweight title with a victory this weekend. Speaking to the Trocação Franca podcast in Portuguese, Alexandre Pantoja discussed his chances of earning a title shot, stating:
"There's enough time, even though he cuts a lot of weight. I know that because he trained here at American Top Team before and he's really big for the division. I think it makes total sense if he wins. Moreno had the ball on his court [and lost], and now Mokaev has it. Let's see what happens."
Check out Alexandre Pantoja's full appearance on Trocação Franca below:
Pantoja acknowledged that Mokaev is a very talented opponent while noting that he and Brandon Royval are the top two options for his next title defense. He added that he is willing to give anyone the title shot, provided that it allows him to fight at UFC 301, which will take place in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.