“The Punisher” is no longer a UFC fighter.
Muhammad Mokaev scored a big win at UFC 304 last night (Sat., July 27, 2024) when he defeated Manel Kape via a pretty boring unanimous decision from inside Co-Op Live in Manchester, England.
The fight was billed as a Flyweight title eliminator, and the winner could get a crack at Alexandre Pantoja. Well, Mokaev will not get a title shot as UFC CEO Dana White confirmed he is no longer under contract, and the promotion is not interested in bringing him back.
“Yeah, the matchmakers aren’t big fans of his for many different reasons, and not just because [of his fighting style] there’s a lot of people who shoot takedowns in this in this business,” White told the media during the post-fight press conference (watch here). There are a lot of guys that fight with that type of style, but it’s a lot more than just that. He’s not under contract anymore. I think the PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy. Good luck to him.”
Mokaev said during fight week that he thought the promotion wasn’t a big fan of his fight style, and he was more than likely correct.
Nevertheless, Mokaev went 7-0 in the UFC with four submission wins.
At just 23 years old, Mokaev indeed has a bright future in the sport; it just won’t be in the UFC.
For complete UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad” results and play-by-play, click HERE!