“I have two years" - Muhammad Mokaev still gunning to become youngest champion in UFC history
Muhammad Mokaev is set to fight Charles Johnson when the UFC returns to London on July 23, and the young prospect is excited to get one step closer to his goal of being a champion. Not just any champion, either, but the youngest UFC champion ever.
Mokaev is 21 years of age, and his 6-0 record doesn't capture the dominance he's shown prior to turning pro in 2020. He went 22-0 as an amateur, starting when he was just 15. Now he's in a rush to get to the flyweight title because he wants to beat Jon Jones' record for youngest UFC champion. Jones was 23 when he took the light heavyweight belt off Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua.
The only problem? No one in the flyweight top fifteen wants to fight him. In a new interview with Just Scrap Radio, Mokaev said:
“I have two years to become the youngest UFC champion, and I don’t want these guys to stop my dream. If they don’t want to fight then just give me their spot and move back. I’m here to fight, you can’t get into the top fifteen and not fight ... The UFC did offer me top fifteen guys after my debut, but nobody accepted it. They say they don’t know me, but they all know me. Of course, they know me. They don’t want to risk their spot. When I finish this fight, my name will be more on the map.”
@muhammadmokaevMuhammad Mokaev fight week🔥 @muhammadmokaev https://t.co/ut8mU2vPeL
Mokaev is looking to make an impression at UFC London by mauling Charles Johnson on the ground and submitting him. His plan isn't just to win, it's to win so impressively that higher-ranked fighters can't ignore him any more. He said:
“I believe I’m already two, three fights away from the belt. I just need to get the right matchups and I believe I beat all of these guys. None of them are special. The only special guys were [Henry] Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson. Now, I don’t see anyone special in the flyweight division.”
Watch Muhammad Mokaev discuss his next fight below:
Muhammad Mokaev wants to escape Khabib Nurmagomedov comparisons
Muhammad Mokaev calls Manchester, England his home now but was originally born in Dagestan. And you can't be a UFC fighter from Dagestan without being compared to the most famous Dagestani fighter in the history of the sport, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
12 days 🥇 UFC LONDON! https://t.co/tx7cVZ8PK4
While Mokaev is clearly flattered that people are saying his name in the same breath as Nurmagomedov, he wants to establish his own identity and brand. During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Mokaev said:
"No, it didn't bother me too much. If he was like, bad guy, then I'd be like... But he's a great example. It's good that they compare me to GOAT, you know?! But I just want to make my own history. Nothing like rude but I have my own story, my own path."
Watch Muhammad Mokaev discuss Khabib Nurmagomedov and his upcoming UFC London fight below: