According to one experienced fighter, flyweight up-and-comer Muhammad Mokaev didn't establish himself enough to "get away" with the actions that seemingly led to his UFC exit.
Entering this past weekend's UFC 304 pay-per-view event in Manchester, England, many would have expected a victory for Mokaev to pave the way for a first-time title shot on mixed martial arts' biggest stage.
Instead, "The Punisher" is posting Job Centre memes having been left without a spot on the UFC roster. How did he get there? Well, seemingly a number of incidents outside the Octagon that left Dana White and the matchmakers wanting out.
While White remained tight-lipped on the exact reasons behind the decision not to offer Mokaev a new contract following his decision win over Manel Kape, he insisted it wasn't down to the grappler's fighting style.
Many have pointed to the fight week altercation he caused with "Starboy" after sucker-punching him outside a hotel as the kind of incident that likely contributed to the surprising release.
Mokaev's supporters have hit back at the UFC, accusing the promotion of double standards given the the history of controversy involving the likes of Jon Jones and Conor McGregor. According to one of the sport's fan favorites, though, Mokaev hadn't reached the level of stardom required to gain some immunity in the eyes of the UFC brass...
Matt Brown Backs UFC Decision To Let Mokaev Go
During the latest episode of MMA Fighting's The Fighter vs. The Writer, retired UFC veteran Matt Brown reacted to Mokaev's shock departure, which came on the back of the Dagestan-born Brit extending his perfect professional record to 13-0 and UFC slate to 7-0.
I’d probably cut him, too, to be honest,” Brown said. "It is surprising that they would do that, being that his ceiling is pretty freaking high. I’ve watched him fight before. The dude has really, really high ceiling. Young guy with a lot of skills, a lot of talent. But when you’re up and coming like that, you can’t just do that. I think the UFC has shown that before. When you’re an up and comer, you can’t be ruffling too many feathers. Obviously like some but you can’t be doing stupid sh*t like that.
Once you’re Jon Jones and you’re putting all those asses in the seats, yeah you get away with some sh*t. Because you’re in business with the UFC. You’re a partner essentially," Brown continued. "Whereas how many people tune in to watch Muhammad Mokaev? When he goes and fights in PFL, how many people are going to tune in and watch Muhammad Mokaev? So there are double standards or triple standards or whatever. There is different standards for every fighter. He’s not at that level to be getting away with sh*t like that. I don’t know the story but that (sucker-punch) sounds like a cowardly b*tch move, and I wouldn’t want to be in business with someone like that either.
It remains to be seen what lies in wait for Mokaev and his career in the coming months. If he has his way, it will seemingly be an immediate return to the UFC flyweight division.
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