Muhammad Mokaev has upped the ante in his pursuit of a second chance in the UFC Octagon.
Former UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev remains one of the top undefeated prospects in MMA, despite his abrupt release from the UFC. Mokaev wasn’t re-signed after a heavily-criticized win over Manel Kape at UFC 304 last year.
Since parting ways with the UFC, Mokaev continues to be discussed as one of the top fighters outside of the promotion. He’s earned wins in Brave CF, Karate Combat, and 971 FC since his departure.
Months removed from Mokaev’s last UFC appearance, and the promotion still seems adamant in ghosting the talented flyweight and refusing to bring him back. But if the opportunity presented itself, Mokaev would be willing to make one big concession to ensure a place on the roster.
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Muhammad Mokaev promises big change if he gets second chance in UFC
In a recent appearance on the MightyCast podcast, Mokaev revealed what he’d be willing to do to secure another shot in the UFC Octagon.
“Right now, I can go to the bantamweight division also. But I have to bulk up a little bit. I think bantamweight, stylistically, is easier for me than flyweight,” Mokaev said.
“I’ve sparred with so many bantamweights. Petr Yan, Said Nurmagomedov, I’ve trained with a lot of them. And I think stylistically, bantamweight is easier. I’m a much faster fighter at bantamweight. At flyweight, I cut so much weight, sometimes I just don’t have that power. Whereas I felt that I had more power at bantamweight.
“If [the UFC] sent me a contract, I’d go fight at bantamweight,” Mokaev proclaimed. “I have the advantage of my age and by the time I come back and return to the rankings, they’ll all be like 35 or 36 [years old].”
Mokaev’s most-recent win, a unanimous decision victory in June at 971 FC 2, marked his return to the bantamweight division. Including the win over Thomas Assis, Mokaev has fought at 135 lbs four times in his career.
If Mokaev is serious about a bantamweight move, and the UFC obliges, he’d add to a stacked bantamweight division. UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is looking for new challengers if he can get past Cory Sandhagen in his next title defense.
The UFC cut ties with ranked heavyweight despite three-fight win streak
Mokaev isn’t the only surprising name that the UFC has cut ties with despite success in the Octagon.
The UFC opted not to sign ranked heavyweight Martin Buday to a new contract following his dominant win over Marcus Buchecha at UFC Abu Dhabi last month. Buday, who went 7-1 in his UFC tenure, defeated Buchecha by unanimous decision.
Buday’s cut from the promotion prompted strong reactions from fans and pundits in recent days. But despite his successes in the Octagon, many of Buday’s recent wins weren’t entertaining to the brass, which was a significant factor in his release.
As of this writing, UFC CEO Dana White hasn’t issued any public remarks on the promotion not re-signing Buday.