Muhammad Mokaev finds a new home after nasty split with the UFC

Muhammad Mokaev has found a new home following his nasty split with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Mokaev (13-0 MMA) fought out his contract at last month’s UFC 304 event in Manchester, scoring a lackluster decision win over Manel Kape.

Immediately following the conclusion UFC 304, Dana White made it clear that the promotion had no intentions of re-signing the undefeated flyweight contender:

“Yeah, that’s what we tell guys,” White said. “We tell guys how to fight. We’ve been doing this for a long f**king time. I’m sure one of the matchmakers probably said something to him or whatever. But yeah, the matchmakers aren’t big fans of (Muhammad Mokaev) for many different reasons, and not just takedowns. There’s a lot of people who shoot takedowns in this business, a lot of guys that fight with that type of style, but it’s a lot more than just that.”

White continued and suggested that UFC 304 was likely the last time fans would see Mokaev fighting under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner:

“He’s not under contract anymore, I think the PFL’s gonna get a great undefeated guy. Good luck to him.”

Muhammad Mokaev would later issue an apology and even offered to give the UFC one free fight in order to stay on with the promotion. However, that offer seemingly fell on deaf ears as Dana White was quick to shoot it down.

“Nobody’s gonna fight for free. People can talk all the sh*t they want about how we pay, but nobody’s fighting free.”

Continuing, White shared:

“It is what it is. I always say this: this is an opportunity to be here and to perform in front of the entire world. And (Mokaev) is just a guy that did everything wrong and pissed these guys off.”

While many expected Muhammad Mokaev would end up signing with the PFL or Bellator, that did not prove to be the case. Instead, the 24-year-old has returned to his former promotion Brave CF.

That news comes courtesy of MMAFighting, which was later confirmed by Brave CF President Mohammad Shahid in a press release:

“There has been an unjust persecution of his character and attempts to use defamation to feed personal vendettas and is evidently clear that there are no clear reasons as to why the best athlete in the world cannot compete. This is not what the sport is all about, and for BRAVE CF to have him back is fantastic, and he now can become a voice for all these challenges. Not only that, his return solidifies our ethos to have the best fight the best irrespective of any other variable, be it of creed, sex, color or marketability.”

Shahid continued:

“We would like to welcome back Muhammad Mokaev, an undefeated superstar, who is an amateur legend, with two IMMAF world titles, and someone who has proven to be the best flyweight in the world, with no losses to his amateur or professional record. This is a very exciting time for Brave CF.”

Only time will tell if a second impressive stint with Brave CF can culminate in a return to the UFC for Mokaev.