Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape had so much bad blood and fighting outside the cage going into their collision at UFC 304 that many expected a brawl when they faced off, especially with a potential title shot on the line.
What we got, however, was something completely different – a fight panned by many that saw Mokaev ultimately come up with a decision win.
The first round ultimately featured a lot of feinting, with neither man scoring a clear edge. Arguably the biggest action in the fight came from a moment in the second where Mokaev grabbed Kape’s shorts in an exchange on the ground. Mokaev appeared to show disrespect to referee Mike Beltran, who yelled at Mokaev during the time-out but elected not to take a point.
Mokaev scored a takedown in the third round and had position advantage, though Kape locked in a guillotine choke attempt.
Mokaev won on all three scorecards, with two 29-28 scores and a 30-27.
Muhammad Mokaev Scores Controversial Decision Over Manel Kape In Fight That Proves Lackluster
Mokaev’s record now improves to 13-0 (1 NC), including a 7-0 run in the UFC so far. This fight marked the last one in Mokaev’s current UFC deal.
Kape sees a four-fight win streak snapped.
