Muhammad Mokaev has opened up about fans referring to him as MMA’s equivalent of Vasiliy Lomachenko.
On June 14, in Dubai, UAE, the gifted grappler will return to action at 971FC against Alisher Gabdullin. With a win, Mokaev could secure a return to the UFC and a fight with Alexandre Pantoja.
In his career to date, the Brit has looked tremendously talented, with his skills honed through an extensive amateur career, which stands out as possibly the best in the history of the sport.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that parallels are drawn between Mokaev and ‘Hi-Tech’.
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Muhammad Mokaev gives his thoughts on Vasiliy Lomachenko comparisons
In a remarkable amateur career, the great Vasiliy Lomachenko mesmerized fans around the world with his sublime footwork and sensational boxing IQ, en route to compiling a tremendous 396-1 record.
While his time in the amateurs wasn’t as extensive, Muhammad Mokaev proved his talent beyond doubt, carving out a 23-0 record and winning the IMMAF World championships on two separate occasions.
The decorated fighters have both made a splash on the professional scene, with Lomachenko conquering three weight divisions, while Mokaev is unbeaten in his first 15 fights, with his best days still likely ahead of him.
However, while comparisons are drawn, the mixed martial artist was humble when asked about whether his amateur career stacks up with Lomachenko’s and explained that part of his journey was more so about honing his craft than it was about winning.
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, he explained: “I think he’s 10x more experienced than me as an amateur.
“In amateur MMA, people take it as professional. I only did as many fights as possible in the amateurs to lose. I tried to find somebody to beat me. It maybe sounds a little bit not right, but I’d rather get upset in the amateurs than the professionals.
“I tried to find somebody to beat me, and then I’d work more on my mistakes, and then I couldn’t find anyone.
“People take the amateurs like a professional career, they pull out, if they’re a little bit injured, they don’t compete, they want everything perfect.
“That’s why, after six or seven amateur fights, people go professional because they can’t cope with this atmosphere.
“I think people shouldn’t be afraid of losing in the amateurs, we should go out there, just compete, win, lose, it doesn’t matter, nobody cares.”
Muhammad Mokaev’s upcoming opponent is training in Dagestan
With Mokaev’s return at 971 FC right around the corner, he’s training hard, ensuring he’s ready to give his fans an explosive show that will catch the eye of the UFC.
However, his rival, former Oktagon champion, Gabdullin, is going all out to try and upset the applecart by training in Dagestan with Islam Makhachev.
But while working alongside the pound-for-pound number one in the sport is undoubtedly brilliant preparation, Mokaev believes one important detail has slipped his opponent’s mind.
‘The Punisher’ said on his Instagram story: “They go to Dagestan, but they forget I was born in Dagestan.”