UFC CEO Dana White has doubled down on the promotion’s decision not to re-sign undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev.
Mokaev appeared to be entering a title eliminator at 125 pounds when he shared the Octagon with then fellow top 10-ranked contender Manel Kape at the UFC 304 pay-per-view in Manchester, England, late last month.
In the end, “The Punisher” was making the walk to the Octagon for the final time inside the Co-op Live. That’s despite the Dagestan-born Brit having his hand raised and remaining unbeaten, both in the UFC and across his amateur and professional careers.
During his post-fight press conference, White revealed the promotion wouldn’t be re-signing Mokaev after he fought out his contract on home soil. While the grappler’s fight style had been pointed to as a criticism in recent times, the UFC chief insisted the issues leading to the release came away from the Octagon.
The weeks since have seen considerable debate over Mokaev’s exit, with many accusing the UFC of double standards given the trouble caused by the likes of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones away from fights.
White, however, is holding firm on the call to let Mokaev go…
White Tells Mokaev: ‘You Put Yourself In This Position!’
During the post-fight press conference following Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC CEO was asked about the organization’s decision to let Mokaev go.
White reiterated that problems outside of the cage left the matchmakers and executive Hunter Campbell less than pleased with “The Punisher,” to the point where they were content losing him from the flyweight roster.
And when it comes to Mokaev’s complaints and disagreement on social media about the decision, White said he has nobody to blame but himself.
“It is what it is. I always say this, this is an opportunity to be here and to perform in front of the entire world. He’s just a guy that did everything wrong and pissed these guys off,” White said. “I wasn’t involved in any of the stuff that happened with him, but you know, the matchmakers and Hunter 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,” White continued. “You put yourself in this position.”
Despite his offer to fight for free and pleas for a UFC return, it would appear that Mokaev has considerable work to do away from the Octagon if he’s to convince the higher-ups of the merits that come with re-signing him down the line.
And in terms of where he’ll attempt that, it seems fans aren’t far away from finding out Mokaev’s first post-UFC destination.
