UFC Signs Undefeated Prospect Muhammad Mokaev

Overtime Heroics Editorial

676 days ago

The UFC’s flyweight division just got an upgrade. Undefeated prospect Muhammad Mokaev (5-0) has signed per an announcement on the UFC Europe Twitter account. At just 21 years old, Mokaev is now the youngest fighter on the roster.

Fighting out of Manchester, England, by way of Dagestan, Mokaev went 23-0 as an amateur before turning pro. His amateur record included back-to-back junior bantamweight titles at the IMMAF World Championships in 2018 and 2019.

In 2020, he turned pro, and has remained undefeated with three stoppages in five professional bouts. Most recently, Mokaev fought for Brave CF in September 2021, where he secured a submission victory via rear-naked choke in the second round against Blaine O’Driscoll.

“Muhammad is a flyweight I had been keeping an eye on for quite some time,” said UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard. “He is very experienced at only 21 years old with almost 30 fights when you combine amateur and pro bouts. He is undefeated, dynamic, and very charismatic. Muhammad sees himself as a flyweight Khabib. He is a perfect fit for this young, fun division.”

Straight Road to the UFC

Back in May, Mokaev revealed that he turned down an offer for Dana White’s Contender Series. “I don’t want Contenders. I believe I sell more pay-per-views or maybe most views, most hyped-up fight for the UFC in the UK,” said Mokaev. “I believe this one-hundred percent. I don’t need to go through the Contender Series to let people know about me. I deserve a straight road to the UFC.”

Being from Dagestan, Mokaev fights out of the United Kingdom. In the summer of 2012, Muhammad and his father Murad fled Russia with no money, only a bag of clothes. They stayed at a refugee center in Liverpool for nearly a month before being relocated to Wigan.

Mokaev’s father encouraged him to spend time at the Wigan Youth Zone daily to stay out of trouble, where he learned about wrestling. Mokaev eventually became the British champion in wrestling and the European champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.