Released despite seven straight wins, baffled Mokaev vows UFC return — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Muhammad Mokaev was released by the UFC in July 2024 the same night he extended his winning streak to seven fights with a unanimous decision over Manuel Kape at UFC 304 in Manchester, with UFC president Dana White announcing they would not re-sign him.
- Mokaev claims the UFC texted his manager after his second UFC bout (against Charles Johnson) saying "he needs to stop wrestling - we don't want these decision guy," pointing to his grappling-heavy style as the reason he was cut despite a roughly 60% finish rate across seven UFC fights.
- Mokaev has competed eight times since his release, winning titles in BRAVE CF and ACBJJ with finishes via chokes, body kicks, head kicks, and punches — activity he says the UFC has ignored, with matchmakers Hunter Campbell, Mick Maynard, and Sean Shelby never calling him back.
- The UFC offered Mokaev $10,000 (£7,399) to compete in UFC BJJ against bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci; Mokaev rejected the fee as insulting and demanded a contract afterward, which the UFC declined, prompting him to tell them "where to go."
- Joshua Van, 24, became the first UFC champion born in the 2000s by defeating Alexandre Pantoja in December — a milestone Mokaev had long looked on track to reach before his release.
- Mokaev has turned down more lucrative multi-fight contracts to stick with one-fight deals, and says he would consider joining the PFL if it creates a 125-pound division following its July merger with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.
Why it matters: Mokaev's seven-fight streak ranks behind only Demetrious Johnson (13) and Alexandre Pantoja (8) in UFC flyweight history, yet the promotion cut him rather than push him toward a title shot — a rare case where Dana White's matchmaking decisions openly override win-loss record. For a 26-year-old in a thin division, every month spent fighting for BRAVE CF and ACBJJ instead of the UFC is an opportunity cost against a narrow athletic prime.
Ask SkimNews
