"He is not born here" - Muhammad Mokaev details the origins of his animosity towards Paddy Pimblett.
Muhammad Mokaev seemed to take much of the MMA media off guard when he mentioned that he was frustrated with how much camera-time Paddy Pimblett has been receiving. Mokaev spoke about how the media should instead be showcasing the likes of Tom Aspinal, Arnold Allen, and Leon Edwards, as they are "true gentlemen," according to Mokhaev.
Pimblett was brought up when Mokaev appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. The reporter asked Mokaev what motivated him to drop Pimblett's name into his post-fight press conference when none of the reporters had asked him about the Liverpool-native. Mokaev explained that Pimblett told Mokaev he doesn't deserve to wear the British flag, as Mokaev was not born in England.
'The Punisher' said:
"Even like in 2019, he said on Twitter: 'This guy shouldn't represent England, he wasn't born here.' He talked bad about Georgian people, talk about immigrants not welcome to UK."
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A beef-of-sorts seems to be stewing between two of the hottest prospects in British MMA right now. Muhammad Mokaev even claimed that he would happily fight Pimblett at featherweight, should the UFC be so kind as to arrange the match-up.
Mokaev said that he walks around at about 155 pounds and that he stepped into the cage against Charles Johnson at 145 pounds.
Muhammad Mokaev may be hanging up the gloves sooner than most expect
In a recently released feature-film produced by Full Reptile, the media company started by Dan Hardy, Muhammad Mokaev explained that he may not be fighting for much longer.
The film revolves around the story of Mokaev, where he came from, and how he ended up where he is today.
Arguably the most interesting segment is when Mokaev spoke about the role of religion in his life. Claiming to be "lost" before he found Islam, Mokaev feels that he is starting to understand why he is on the path he is following.
With fighting being forbidden in Islam, Mokaev admitted that the more he fights, the more he feels like he wants to leave this sport.
"The more I fight, the more I'm successful in this sport, the more I want to leave. So yeah, in the future, I think I will leave... soon. "
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It is a shame to hear such a promising talent like Muhammad Mokaev admit that he will probably leave the sport soon. Only time will tell if this contemplation diminishes his in-ring performance.