UFC CEO Dana White has fired Muhammad Mokaev from the UFC despite his recent win against Manel Kape at UFC 304. White made this announcement at the UFC 304 press conference. This means Mokaev’s fight against Kape was his last in the promotion’s contract, which he won via unanimous decision. Although “The Punisher” was victorious, White claimed that matchmakers were not happy with Mokaev. He indicated that the UFC will not re-sign Mokaev and that he should join other promotions like the PFL.
White claimed matchmakers are not happy with Mokaev
Dana White showed his ruthless side during the UFC 304 press conference and boldly stated that Muhammad Mokaev’s days with the UFC are over despite his win against Manel Kape. “Yeah, the matchmakers are not big fans of his for many reasons, and not just because of his fighting style. There are a lot of people who shoot takedowns in this business,” said White.
While speaking further about the undefeated flyweight fighter, White stated that there are a lot of guys who fight in that style, but it’s more than that. “He is not under contract anymore. I think the PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy. Good luck to him,” said White. Being fired from the UFC is definitely not good news for Mokaev, as PFL doesn’t have a flyweight or bantamweight division, which means his only option is to fight in the featherweight division.
The 23-year-old could join Bellator
Mokaev could also join Bellator, but it too doesn’t have a flyweight division. So, Mokaev might have to fight in the bantamweight division, where Patchy Mix is the current Bellator Bantamweight champion. Mokaev doesn’t really have a lot of options and the release is certainly a bold move by the UFC president.
Mokaev got into a pre-fight conflict with Manel Kape at the fighter’s hotel. This certainly affected the UFC’s image. Mokoev also had controversial moments during the fight. He grabbed Kape’s shorts and tried pulling them down. He was given a strict warning by the referee. It seems these factors have played a part in White’s decision to remove him from the promotion.
Muhammad Mokoaev began his professional MMA career in 2020 with Brave CF and then joined the UFC in 2022. He is still undefeated in MMA and has amassed a record of 13 wins and one no contest till date. He has a bright future in the sport, but he has to do a lot of hard work to earn a position in UFC again.
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