It was a successful return to action for Muhammad Mokaev (13-0) on Friday, as he emerged victorious from his first fight since departing the UFC earlier this year. Mokaev’s tenure on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage came to a surprise end this past July. After extending his perfect professional and Octagon records with a victory […]
It was a successful return to action for Muhammad Mokaev (13-0) on Friday, as he emerged victorious from his first fight since departing the UFC earlier this year.
Mokaev’s tenure on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage came to a surprise end this past July. After extending his perfect professional and Octagon records with a victory over Manel Kape at UFC 304, “The Punisher’s” contract wasn’t renewed.
With his pleas for an immediate return to the promotion falling on deaf ears, Mokaev has frequently vowed to earn his spot back on the UFC roster. And the first step toward achieving that got underway Friday in Bahrain.
Mokaev made his return to one of his former organizations, competing at Brave CF 91. After his original opponent withdrew, the Dagestan-born Brit shared the cage with replacement Joevincent So on two days’ notice.
“Chain” didn’t last long, falling by way of submission in under two minutes after being dragged down and locked in a D’arce choke.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Mokaev, as well as the specifics of his contractual agreement with Brave CF.
But with UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja appearing short on fresh options following his third title defense last weekend, perhaps an Octagon return will arrive sooner rather than later for “The Punisher” following an emphatic outing on Dec. 13.
It was a successful return to action for Muhammad Mokaev (13-0) on Friday, as he emerged victorious from his first fight since departing the UFC earlier this year. Mokaev’s tenure on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage came to a surprise end this past July. After extending his perfect professional and Octagon records with a victory […]
It was a successful return to action for Muhammad Mokaev (13-0) on Friday, as he emerged victorious from his first fight since departing the UFC earlier this year.
Mokaev’s tenure on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage came to a surprise end this past July. After extending his perfect professional and Octagon records with a victory over Manel Kape at UFC 304, “The Punisher’s” contract wasn’t renewed.
With his pleas for an immediate return to the promotion falling on deaf ears, Mokaev has frequently vowed to earn his spot back on the UFC roster. And the first step toward achieving that got underway Friday in Bahrain.
Mokaev made his return to one of his former organizations, competing at Brave CF 91. After his original opponent withdrew, the Dagestan-born Brit shared the cage with replacement Joevincent So on two days’ notice.
“Chain” didn’t last long, falling by way of submission in under two minutes after being dragged down and locked in a D’arce choke.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Mokaev, as well as the specifics of his contractual agreement with Brave CF.
But with UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja appearing short on fresh options following his third title defense last weekend, perhaps an Octagon return will arrive sooner rather than later for “The Punisher” following an emphatic outing on Dec. 13.
Muhammad Mokaev will face a late-notice replacement opponent this week, keeping the date for his first outing since exiting the UFC intact. Mokaev enjoyed an undefeated run in the UFC during a three-year stint, rising up the ladder in a fashion that saw many predict potential championship glory in his future. And by getting the […]
Muhammad Mokaev will face a late-notice replacement opponent this week, keeping the date for his first outing since exiting the UFC intact.
Mokaev enjoyed an undefeated run in the UFC during a three-year stint, rising up the ladder in a fashion that saw many predict potential championship glory in his future. And by getting the better of Manel Kape at UFC 304 in Manchester this past July, the Dagestan-born Brit appeared to be close to the front of the queue.
The decision came after he struck Kape at a hotel during fight week, with UFC CEO Dana White suggesting a number of issues away from the cage left the matchmakers with negative views on the young fighter.
After his push for an immediate Octagon return fell on deaf ears, Mokaev put pen to paper on a deal with his former organization, Brave Combat Federation. His debut was later confirmed for this weekend’s Brave CF 91 event in Bahrain.
Disaster struck just days out from the card, with Mokaev’s opponent Luthando Biko withdrawing due to a health issue. Fortunately, it’s not taking long for Brave CF to secure a new foe, with Joevincent Soe stepping in for a 130-pound catchweight. The news was first reported by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz.
UFC veteran Muhammad Mokaev will now fight Joevincent So at Friday's Brave CF 91, per sources.
So steps in on just two days' notice in Bahrain. 130-pound catchweight.
“The Cannibal’s” UFC 310 triumph has left him short on fresh challenges to his reign in 2025, only adding to the confusion of many when it comes to the decision to let Mokaev go.
Former UFC flyweight standout Muhammad Mokaev will return to action just in time for you to kickstart your final…
Former UFC flyweight standout Muhammad Mokaev will return to action just in time for you to kickstart your final countdown to Christmas.
Following a unanimous decision victory over Manel Kape at UFC 304 in Manchester, Dana White revealed that ‘The Punisher’ would not be re-signed to the organization after fighting through the final fight on his contract. It was a surprising decision considering Mokaev had just moved to 13-0 with seven of those victories coming inside the Octagon.
We now know that at the promotion’s next event on Friday, December 13, Mokaev will square off against South Africa’s Luthando Biko, which goes down inside the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, Bahrain.
On Monday, the promotion announced his return in a press release that tried (and failed) to compare Mokaev’s popularity to that of one of the greatest P4P fighters of all time — Demetrious Johnson.
“The announcement of Muhammad Mokaev’s highly anticipated return to the cage at BRAVE CF 91, where he will face South Africa’s Luthando Biko, has once again highlighted the undefeated prodigy’s undeniable star power in the global Flyweight division. A product of the KHK MMA development system, Mokaev’s ability to capture attention was proven yet again as the fight news created a massive buzz across the combat sports world.
“The story was first broken by the website ‘MMA Fighting,’ which coincidentally published it just minutes apart from another major Flyweight headline: news involving Demetrious Johnson, widely regarded as the greatest Flyweight of all time. Despite Johnson’s legendary status, Mokaev’s fight announcement outperformed in terms of views and engagement, showcasing his influence among fans and media alike.
“Within hours, several other international media outlets had picked up the story, amplifying the buzz around his comeback fight. Metrics tools revealed that searches for Muhammad Mokaev surged back to levels reminiscent of his widely celebrated re-signing with BRAVE CF.
“This renewed wave of interest reaffirms Mokaev’s position as a bona fide star in the Flyweight division. Beyond his undefeated record, Mokaev’s appeal lies in his magnetic personality, confidence, technical exuberance, and knack for staying in the spotlight. His ability to generate significant fan and media interest, speaks volumes about his position in the picture of the Flyweight division globally.
“As he prepares to face the tough and gritty Luthando Biko at BRAVE CF 91, all eyes will undoubtedly remain on Mokaev. For BRAVE CF, the buzz surrounding Mokaev’s return is a testament to their role in nurturing global talent and creating stars. For Mokaev, it’s yet another reminder of the massive expectations riding on his shoulders—and his ever-growing capacity to exceed them.”
Clearly, BRAVE CF is choosing to ignore that most of the attention on Mokaev lately has been for all the wrong reasons.
Muhammad Mokaev plotting 2025 return to the UFC
Counting his amateur record, Mokaev has won 36 straight fights and he’s already planning on a return to the UFC once he racks up a few wins in BRAVE CF.
“I’m ready to come back now,” Mokaev told MMA Junkie. “I’m fighting in BRAVE, so whenever they call me, I’m ready. I want to become UFC champion, and I knew I could because I was very, very close to it.”
Of course, Mokaev’s UFC release had little to do with his performance and everything to do with his attitude which was said to be piss-poor according to Dana White.
“This is an opportunity to be here and to perform in front of the entire world,” White said at a DWCS press conference in August. “And [Mokaev] is just a guy that did everything wrong and pissed these guys off.”
“I wasn’t involved in any of the stuff that happened with him, but the matchmakers and Hunter [Campbell] were. And they weren’t happy with him. They weren’t happy with the way he acted. They weren’t happy with a lot of things he did and said. I guess you can look back now and regret it. But you did it. You did it, and you put yourself in this position.”
The MMA return of the undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev has been confirmed for BRAVE CF 91 on December 13. In his return to the promotion where he made his pro debut, “The Punisher” will face Luthando Biko at the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Bahrain. Mokaev was announced to have re-signed with the promotion shortly […]
The MMA return of the undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev has been confirmed for BRAVE CF 91 on December 13. In his return to the promotion where he made his pro debut, “The Punisher” will face Luthando Biko at the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Bahrain.
After submitting Cody Durden in less than a minute of being inside the Octagon, it was clear that this incredibly accomplished amateur was going to be one to watch. Subsequent wins over Charles Johnson, Malcolm Gorden, Jafel Filho and Tim Elliott only added to that.
Beating Alex Perez and Manel Kape via decision put him right into the flyweight title picture even if both fights weren’t the most entertaining but his conduct inside the Octagon wasn’t why his UFC career ended as it was still getting started. Dana White announced in his UFC 304 post-fight press conference that the promotion would not be re-signing Mokaev after he fought out of his contract due to the issues he has created outside of the cage.
His next opponent, Biko, will also be making his BRAVE debut having fought the majority of his career in South African promotion, EFC. The 34-year old has a record of 12-3 and is a former EFC flyweight and bantamweight champion.
After leaving that promotion, he has earned back-to-back wins on UAE Warriors and French promotion ARES FC before stepping into the biggest fight of his career to date. BRAVE CF 91 will be the first event in a double-header for the promotion with two events taking place in Bahrain within a few days of one another.
Bantamweight champion Nkosi Ndebele is set to return in the main event on December 13 to defend his title against Nicholas Hwende. Ndebele recently won back-to-back fights against former UFC fighter Jose “Shorty” Torres to close out their trilogy for the 135-pound title.
2 EPIC nights where sport meets entertainment
BRAVE CF is back with the ultimate sportainment homecoming featuring the best fighters in the world, unmatched entertainment, celebrity appearances and more!#BRAVECF#Bahrain#MMApic.twitter.com/V0wzHmnB9z
Muhammad Mokaev is still yet to make his return to MMA following his controversial UFC departure earlier this year. The promotion chose not to re-sign him following his seventh consecutive win inside the Octagon over Manel Kape. Mokaev has since signed with Brave CF, the promotion where he had most of his early pro fights […]
Mokaev has since signed with Brave CF, the promotion where he had most of his early pro fights before joining the UFC back in 2022. Mokaev did recently make his competition return in a grappling match loss to Rogério Bontorin but now, there are rumours of a potential MMA opponent being lined up for him.
Rather than Brave looking to attract a former UFC fighter or name that fans may be familiar with, recent reports from ??????? ??? on X suggest that Mokaev could be taking on a fighter that is seemingly on the same path that he was once on.
The undefeated Asaf Chopurov has been very impressive during his six-fight pro career having fought on promotions like RCC in Russia and UAE Warriors. In six wins, he’s got five finishes with four of them coming in the first round.
What makes the 22-year old so exciting is that like Mokaev in the early days of his pro career, Chopurov amassed so much experience during his amateur career that he’s already fighting at a high level despite being so young in his journey.
As a former three-time Russian MMA and IMAAF world champion, Chopurov ended his amateur career with an overall record of 30-1. Mokaev, for reference, left behind arguably the most impressive amateur career to date at 22-0.
Chopurov may not be a household name just yet but he’s an undefeated star on the rise who could become that in the near future. Facing Mokaev at this stage in his career could be a huge moment for the rising prospect.
Former UFC flyweight standout Muhammad Mokaev will return to action just in time for you to kickstart your final…
