Mokaev expects to fight again by the end of the year, despite suffering what appeared to be a brutal knee injury in his last outing.
Muhammad Mokaev has avoided some serious damage after UFC 286 this past Saturday.
The UFC flyweight was on his way to a win against Jafel Filho when he found himself caught in a near fight-ending kneebar. Despite having his knee bent backward and wincing in pain, the ‘Punisher’ survived. And with seconds remaining in the fight, Mokaev snatched up a rear-naked choke on the ‘Pastor,’ forcing him to tap.
Days after his win, Mokaev shared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that he heard ’six or seven’ cracks in his knee. And though that sounds serious, the undefeated fighter says ‘six or seven’ cracks amount to a Grade 2 partial MCL tear.
In his most recent injury update, Mokaev revealed that he not only expects to be out for a few weeks, but also requires no surgery.
Alhadmulillah!
6-8 weeks I will be back training
Thank you for all your messages, I received crazy amount of the support about my knee! It’s a strap season for me and my people!
I will be champion one day InshaAllah ? pic.twitter.com/RL8fsVQVlE
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) March 23, 2023
“6-8 weeks I will be back training,” tweeted Mokaev. “Thank you for all your messages, I received crazy amount of the support about my knee! It’s strap season for me and my people!
“I will be champion one day InshaAllah.”
For his next fight, Mokaev says he wants to return in July against a potential top-10 opponent. At the moment, the 22-year-old sits at No. 12 in the official UFC rankings.
Mokaev is 4-0 in the UFC.
About the author: Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016. (full bio)
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