MMA News

Tag: Brave CF

  • VIDEO: Muhammad Mokaev Submits Opponent Less Than 2 Minutes Into First Fight Post-UFC

    VIDEO: Muhammad Mokaev Submits Opponent Less Than 2 Minutes Into First Fight Post-UFC

    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.

    UFC CEO Dana White announced the shock decision during the post-fight press conference in Manchester, putting it down to facts outside of the cage, including issues the matchmakers and Hunter Campbell had dealing with the flyweight up-and-comer.

    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 Gets Replacement Opponent On 2 Days’ Notice For First Fight Since UFC Exit

    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.

    But more than just being snubbed for Alexandre Pantoja’s subsequent title defense, “The Punisher” was eliminated from the equation altogether when the UFC opted not to renew his contract.

    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.

    The 24-year-old didn’t address the news of his first opponent’s withdrawal himself, instead reposting a number of comments on X calling for his re-signing with the UFC in the aftermath of Pantoja’s submission victory over Kai Asakura this past weekend.

    “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.

  • Muhammad Mokaev’s First Fight Since UFC Departure Announced

    Muhammad Mokaev’s First Fight Since UFC Departure Announced

    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 after his parting of ways with the UFC opened up a lot of questions about his future. He initially left BRAVE with a record of 5-0 before going on to make his UFC debut in March of 2022 in London.

    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.

  • Muhammad Mokaev’s Rumored Opponent For First Fight Post-UFC Exit Revealed

    Muhammad Mokaev’s Rumored Opponent For First Fight Post-UFC Exit Revealed

    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 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 Вестник ММА 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.

  • Muhammad Mokaev Claims His Pay Is Three Times Higher After UFC Release

    Muhammad Mokaev’s UFC departure may have seen his title ambitions on MMA’s biggest stage take a hit, but the same seemingly can’t be said for his bank account…

    Mokaev surprisingly found himself outside of the sport’s leading promotion shortly after his latest win at UFC 304 in Manchester this past July. In a lackluster affair, the Dagestan-born Brit outpointed Manel Kape to move to 13-0 as a pro and 7-0 in the UFC.

    With a victory over “Starboy,” Mokaev was anticipating a potential title shot. But seemingly owing to his conduct behind the scenes, “The Punisher” was instead let go after fighting out his contract.

    The 24-year-old was quick to complain about the decision publicly, even offering to fight for free if it would allow him back into the UFC. His efforts evidently fell on deaf ears, however, and he’ll need to put the work in outside of the Octagon to stake his claim for a new deal.

    And while he goes to work in a bid to show his worth to Dana White and co., he’ll apparently be collecting increased purses along the way…

    Mokaev Banking More After UFC Exit, Brave CF Re-Signing

    Mokaev’s attempt to impress the UFC higher-ups and force a re-signing will come in familiar surroundings, as he’s returned to the promotion he competed in prior to joining MMA’s top organization, Brave CF.

    And while responding to a fan on social media recently, the elite flyweight claimed he’s receiving three times as much pay in the Middle East-based promotion as he did under the UFC banner.

    Mokaev later commented publicly himself, claiming to be the “highest paid flyweight fighter in the world” in a social media post.

    Despite the lucrative position he’s seemingly found himself in, however, “The Punisher” reiterated that his goal remains a return to the UFC.

    “Highest paid flyweight fighter in the world right now without holding the title @bravemmaf But of course my goal is come back to UFC because it is the number 1 promotion in the world right now!”

    It remains to be seen when Mokaev will return to action in his new promotion, and whether a strong run of results there could re-open the door back to the UFC and the flyweight gold currently held by Alexandre Pantoja.

  • Muhammad Mokaev Signs With New Promotion Following UFC Departure

    Muhammad Mokaev Signs With New Promotion Following UFC Departure

    Muhammad Mokaev finally has a new home after his public departure from the UFC last month. “The Punisher” has signed with Brave CF, where he previously competed prior to the UFC.

    Mokaev’s signing was first reported by the BBC before the promotion put out a press release announcing his signing.

    In a statement in the release, Brave CF president Mohammad Shahid said Mokaev and his talents were welcome with open arms, and he appeared to accuse other promoters, including UFC CEO Dana White, of trying to defame the Dagestan-born Brit’s character.

    “There has been an unjust persecution of his character and attempts to use defamation to feed personal vendettas, and is evidently clear that there are no clear reasons as to why the best athlete in the world cannot compete,” Shahid stated. “This is not what the sport is all about, and for BRAVE CF to have him back is fantastic, and he now can become a voice for all these challenges. Not only that, his return solidifies our ethos to have the best fight the best irrespective of any other variable, be it of creed, sex, color or marketability.

    “We would like to welcome back Muhammad Mokaev, an undefeated superstar, who is an amateur legend, with two IMMAF world titles, and someone who has proven to be the best flyweight in the world, with no losses to his amateur or professional record. This is a very exciting time for Brave CF.”

    Muhammad Mokaev Signs With Brave CF Following UFC Departure

    Mokaev made his professional MMA debut with Brave CF in 2020, scoring a decision win over Glenn McVeigh at Brave CF 37. Five of the seven fights Mokaev had prior to signing with the UFC were in the organization, with “The Punisher” going 4-0 (1 NC).

    Mokaev later went 7-0 in the UFC and was a top flyweight contender. However, he was not re-signed by the promotion, with White criticizing Mokaev in a UFC 304 post-fight press conference for “so much bad s*** that happened behind the scenes.”

    That card saw Mokaev defeat Manel Kape in a lackluster outing after a fight week that included multiple confrontations between the pair, including one where Mokaev sucker-punched “Starboy.”

    PFL’s Ray Sefo later added that he had heard Mokaev was a “pain in the ass” and the promotion was not interested in him.

  • ‘He Is Gonna Be Making $100 Per Fight’ – MMA Fans React To Muhammad Mokaev Teasing His Next Promotion

    ‘He Is Gonna Be Making $100 Per Fight’ – MMA Fans React To Muhammad Mokaev Teasing His Next Promotion

    Despite making it clear that his preferred option is to stay with the UFC, flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev is teasing a new destination.

    “The Punisher” fought out his UFC contract following his latest win at UFC 304 over Manel Kape.

    In his post-event press conference, Dana White announced that they would not be resigning Mokaev despite his clear ability, due to his outside of the cage conduct which includes him admitting to sucker punching Kape on fight week.

    Though White remarked that he will make a fine addition to the PFL’s roster, Ray Sefo made it clear that this isn’t going to happen.

    A post on social media from Mokaev showed him receiving a new pair of gloves and with some clever sleuthing, some have tried to predict where he will be applying his trade in the near future.

    Violent Money TV reported that upon closer inspection of the inside of the glove, it appears to have been produced by the brand Top Ten.

    Top Ten became the exclusive apparel provider for Bahrain-based promotion BRAVE CF earlier this year, which suggests that this could be his new home.

    Mokaev fought five times under the BRAVE banner before signing to the UFC in November of 2021.

    MMA Fans React To Muhammad Mokaev – BRAVE CF Theory

    When Mokaev’s UFC departure was made official, signing to the PFL seemed like the clear and obvious next step for him – until it wasn’t anymore.

    Whilst there are plenty of other promotions that could welcome Mokaev if he wishes to stay active at this point in his career, BRAVE may be the one that makes the most sense due to their prior relationship.

    MMA fans, however, reacted on social media with more questions to this hypothetical answer.

    “Mokaev is funded by the Bahrain royal family and is part of Team KHK, it was inevitable to anybody that knows his ties to Bahrain that he’d end up in Brave.”

    “Mokaev will go on a mad submission streak and claim two belts at Brave CF and the UFC will have egg on their face. Pin this tweet”

    “Nice, his fights will be seen by hundreds of people”

    “He is gonna be making $100 per fight”

    https://twitter.com/StricklandSzn/status/1821510540822249565

    “Never heard of Brave fc”

    https://twitter.com/osubucks2024/status/1821513305862672399

    “ACA I believe. Doesn’t matter. Will still watch him.”

    “Back to the regionals for Mokaev.”

    https://twitter.com/wrldw4r/status/1821523763390816768

    Read also: Amir Albazi On Muhammad Mokaev Fight Being Off The Table Following UFC Exit: ’10 Out Of 10 Times, I Would Beat Him’