Muhammad Mokaev Finally Finds a New Home
Muhammad Mokaev’s last month has been a nightmare he never seems to wake up from. The Russian fighter promoted his UFC flyweight fight with Manel Kape as if it were going to be an unforgettable classic. The fight was one people will remember, according to MMAfighting latest news.
But the memories aren’t fond ones. Nor are they something that Mokaev will be proud of. After the Kape fight disappointed the crowd, the UFC cut Mokaev loose. It was a surprising decision, as Mokaev is 13-0 and was pegged as a future title challenge.
But hints about bad behavior and personality differences seemed to haunt Mokaev, who also drew no interest from the Professional Fighters League. The PFL doesn’t have a flyweight division and was also concerned about his behavior. Mokaev returned to Brave Combat Federation, where he fought before going to the UFC.
Brave CF Grabs a Big Name
The Brave Combat Federation was founded in 2016 and allowed Mokaev to build up his name. Mokaev hopes that they may be able to provide some rehabilitation for his image. Brave CF is based out of Bahrain but has staged fights worldwide.
Brave isn’t viewed as one of the top promotions in the world, but it has drawn a strong regional audience that has allowed it to settle into the second tier. If Brave can have a successful run with Mokaev, it may provide more exposure for its brand.
During Mokaev’s previous time in Brave CF, he produced more than a few successful performances. While Mokaev never held a belt, he piled up four wins and one no-contest. The no-contest came due to an accidental groin strike during his fight with Ibragim Navruzov in June 2021.
Will Mokaev Keep Head on Straight?
Losing his job was bad enough for Mokaev. But when he returned home to Dagestan, Mokaev ran into more issues. In late August, Mokaev was involved in a car accident that saw his car fly into a ditch after a collision.
People who witnessed the accident pulled Mokaev from the wreckage. While the pictures of his heavily damaged car looked bad, Mokaev quickly addressed the issue on X. He assured his fans that he wasn’t seriously harmed in the accident.
“I have been tested on a high level at this stage of my career, and I will be back strong InshaAllah!” Mokaev wrote on X.
Mokaev, who is 13-0 in his MMA career, started showing more public signs of reckless behavior before his fight with Kape at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, according to MMA news sites. The UFC wasn’t specific about what Mokaev’s bad behavior included, but it was bad enough that they chose to let him pursue other opportunities.
Kape, Mokaev Fought Everyone But the Cage
It seems silly looking back on it now. But if Mokaev had dominated Kape, he may have been next in line to fight Alexandre Pantoja for the title. However, everything went wrong during that fight week.
The two men went back and forth in the hotel and had to be pulled apart by their teams. After the fight in the hotel, Mokaev admitted that he had sucker punched Kape. Initially, Mokaev approached Kape about taking a picture together.
When Kape got closer, Mokaev cracked him in the face. When the two men met in the cage at UFC 304, extra security had to be brought into the octagon to make sure they didn’t fight before the bell rang. Once the fight started, there was hardly any action.
Mokaev secured three takedowns, but the two men only combined for 50 significant strikes. Mokaev would end up winning the fight by unanimous decision. But no one watching the fight that night believed either fighter had done much to earn their respect.
Following the immense hatred in the buildup, fans were left waiting for the explosive fight they were promised but never materialized.
Mokaev Has Potential
The goalposts have moved over the years, but UFC CEO Dana White wants fighters who finish fights. Mokaev hasn’t been great at that during his time in the UFC, especially in fights against tougher competition. But because Mokaev was a headache to deal with, White’s decision to set him free was easier following the circus he put on at UFC 304.
Mokaev initially said he hoped to be the youngest UFC champion in history. When Mokaev submitted Cody Durden just 58 seconds into his debut in March 2022, there was no thought that the now 24-year-old wouldn’t rise quickly up the rankings.
Mokaev won all seven of his fights in the UFC before being cut. While he submitted four of his opponents, there were several fights people thought he should have dominated, where he secured finishes in the third round of close fights.
Mokaev is a fighter with a strong grappling background. While wrestling has always been an important part of mixed martial arts, fighters who can’t secure finishes out of these strong positions are typically criticized as boring.
Is There a Path Back to UFC?
While the UFC won’t tolerate nonsense from fighters, the promotion is also willing to bring people back into the fold. There have been more than a few fighters who were cut after struggling early in their UFC career, then returned and found great success. Brandon Moreno, at one point, was sent back to the regional scene before he came back to become the flyweight champion.
Mokaev, a British citizen, has the skill set to produce more victories. He will need to work on his professional behavior. The UFC still likely provides the best opportunity to cement his reputation as one of the world’s best.
It is up to Mokaev to prove that he still deserves the privilege to be with the promotion. Starting fights in hotels and not throwing punches in the cage isn’t the path to success.
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By Dean McHugh.
