Released despite seven straight wins, baffled Mokaev vows UFC return

It has been more than two years since Muhammad Mokaev was released by the UFC - and yet he is still searching for answers.

In July 2024 the Russian-born Briton had just stretched his winning run in the promotion to seven fights with a unanimous decision victory over Manuel Kape at UFC 304.

From the outside, Mokaev appeared to have it all.

Victory over Kape in Manchester had seemingly further cemented his place as a top contender in the flyweight division and a title shot appeared to be within his grasp.

But later that night UFC president Dana White made the shock announcement they would not be re-signing Mokaev.

It was initially suggested Mokaev's behaviour in the build-up to facing Kape - which included clashes with his Portuguese rival at the fighters' hotel and again at the weigh-ins - may have influenced the UFC's decision.

According to Mokaev, that is not true.

"If we talk about behaviour, right - if I'm a bad guy, why would you let me fight seven fights and renew my contract twice?" Mokaev told BBC Sport.

"If I'm a bad guy in the company and organisation, they would cut me after one or two fights."

You only need one look at Mokaev's record since July 2024 to understand how determined he is to make his way back to the UFC.

Few fighters on the planet have been more active than the flyweight, who has competed eight times over the past two years.

Since leaving the promotion, he has finished opponents with chokes, body kicks, head kicks and punches, while also winning titles in Brave CF and ACBJJ.

Yet it has not been enough to catch the attention of UFC matchmakers Hunter Campbell, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby.

Although Mokaev is in a WhatsApp group with Campbell and Shelby, he believes the UFC is constantly moving the goalposts.

"Hunter made me a promise. They basically wasted two years of my life," Mokaev explained. "That's how I feel right now. I don't think what they are doing is right."

Mokaev says he was also offered $10,000 (£7,399) to compete in UFC BJJ, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition, against bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci.

Despite finding the proposed fee deeply insulting, he was willing to face the five-time world champion if the UFC offered him a contract afterwards.

"They said, 'no, this is different. BJJ is different. This is different. We have other plans.' I told them where to go," said Mokaev, who admitted his response to the UFC contained several expletives.

When Joshua Van defends his flyweight title in a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, there will be a sense of what might have been for Mokaev.

That is because Van, 24, became the first UFC champion born in the 2000s when he defeated Pantoja in December.

It was a feat that had long looked likely to be achieved by Mokaev after he signed with the UFC in 2021 and quickly soared through the ranks.

Only former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson (13) and Pantoja (eight) have recorded longer winning streaks in the flyweight division than Mokaev (seven).

It is why he remains steadfast in his belief that he is the best flyweight in the world and that he will one day have UFC gold around his waist, even if it comes later than he anticipated.

"The way I'm going to compete and keep winning, eventually they're going to send me there," Mokaev said.

"Back then I said, 'the best fight the best.' But it doesn't matter what happens with the situation, I think I'm the best flyweight in the world and I deserve to fight the best."