Following his seventh consecutive win inside the Octagon, 23-year-old undefeated flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev was removed from the UFC rankings and roster.
Dana White announced in his post-fight press conference after UFC 304 that the promotion would not be renewing his contract after it expired with his fight against Manel Kape in Manchester.
While Mokaev claimed that he had been warned by UFC staff about his wrestling-heavy fighting style, White said that this isn't a factor and that the decision was instead made due to his conduct outside of the cage.
Another rumor was cleared up once the news was made official as Mokaev's manager denied any chance of his release being caused by negotiations that were being held with the PFL whilst he was still under contract with the UFC.
Muhammad Mokaev Posts Statement, Clarifies Lack Of Interest In PFL & Hopes Of Re-Signing With UFC
Mokaev has spoken about the current situation regarding his status with the UFC now that the dust has settled on this past weekend.
He made it clear that going to the PFL was never a priority for him for multiple reasons. Not only has his main focus always been to achieve UFC gold, the PFL doesn't currently have an active flyweight division, or bantamweight for that matter.
"The Punisher" noted that despite this rocky relationship with the UFC, he still hopes to return to the Octagon in the near future to continue working his way toward the belt.
"My dream is to become UFC Champion. I turn them all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family! btw PFL don’t have flyweight division. All these journalists that make this shit up are idiots! I hope Dana resigns me, this is my dream to become champion!"