"Let's fight October 22nd, UFC Abu Dhabi" - Surging prospect Muhammad Mokaev sets his sights on a top 10 flyweight
Surging flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev is currently the youngest fighter signed to the UFC roster. The Englishman just turned 22 but has shown that he is amongst the elites of the flyweight division. Mokaev picked up back-to-back wins over Cody Durden and Charles Johnson, both of whom were a decade older than Mokaev at the time of their fight.
Mokaev is one of the brightest prospects in the UFC, and has got plenty of confidence. He has set a very ambitious goal for himself, of becoming the youngest UFC champion ever - a title currently held by Jon Jones. To accomplish this goal, Mokaev must begin fighting ranked opponents, something he has attempted to do since entering the UFC.
Mokaev has consistently taken to social media to call out ranked opponents such as No.2- ranked flyweight Kai Kara-France and No.9- ranked flyweight David Dvorak. He has even labeled himself the "boogie man" of the division, claiming that everyone is turning down a fight against him.
Muhammad Mokaev has once again taken to social media in an attempt to fight a ranked opponent. This time around, his target is the No.6- ranked flyweight Alex Perez, who was submitted by Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 277. Mokaev is targeting a UFC 280 matchup in Abu Dhabi.
Does Muhammad Mokaev deserve a ranked opponent?
Muhammad Mokaev has shown that he is very confident and willing to go into the octagon with whomever. He has been angling for a ranked opponent since picking up a quick submission victory over Cody Durden in just under a minute of his UFC debut.
While he was unable to finish Charles Johnson in his second UFC fight, he did set a UFC record for number of takedowns by a flyweight. His performance was good enough to secure a unanimous decision victory, where all three judges had him winning all three rounds.
Back-to-back dominant victories have put Mokaev in a position where ranked opponents can no longer ignore him. Mokaev may be aiming a bit higher by calling out Kai Kara-France and maybe even Perez. This isn't to say that he isn't ready for the challenge, but that both fighters have other opponents that make more sense at this point in their careers.
This shouldn't discourage Mokaev, however, as his next matchup could be against an opponent in the bottom half of the flyweight rankings. Mokaev should still aim for a spot on the stacked UFC 280 card. A dominant victory against a ranked opponent on what could be the biggest card of the year will help Muhammad Mokaev tremendously in securing big name bouts in the future.