Muhammad Mokaev has been reflecting on his past mistakes.
His world was turned upside down last year when he was unexpectedly released by the UFC following an underwhelming win over Manel Kape at UFC 304 in Manchester, England.
At the time, Mokaev (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was just 23 years old and appeared to be on the verge of a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja before the rug was pulled out from under him.
Now that the dust has settled, “The Punisher” has been contemplating what went wrong.
"I was fighting on my last fight deal of my contract against Manel, so it all depended on my performance," Mokaev said while speaking to former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in a video posted to his YouTube channel. "Basically, Mick Maynard is the matchmaker of (the) UFC flyweight division, and basically the story is, he asked Dana to keep the division, and he wanted more exciting fighters, and for the UFC, it's strikers, strikers with finishes.
"For myself, I did the seven fight within two years, and you know to make flyweight, it's hard, and within two years I had seven fight against four of them were top 15 opponents Basically, the more I fought, the less performance I show because the longer you're in training camp you just get tired of it.
“I started with great performances and I started slowing down and just didn't have the hunger. I just thought, 'I just need to reach to the title, reach to the title.' Everything in my head was about Pantoja, I didn't care if I won by decision. I didn't care about that. The only guy in my head was Pantoja and that's it. Basically, I was fighting Manel in my last (fight of my) deal and if I knocked him out they would definitely (have) signed me and given me the best deal, but I didn't finish him, and basically they didn't resign me."
Mokaev Sets Record Straight on UFC Departure
In the immediate aftermath of UFC 304, rumors began circulating about Mokaev’s behavior behind the scenes during fight week. A high-profile altercation with Manel Kape prior to the bout drew significant attention, but Mokaev insists his release was due more to his pragmatic fighting style than to any antisocial behavior.
"I've been told, 'Listen, you need to put performance and go out there and take risks if you want a new contract,'" Mokaev said. "It wasn't about the (altercation with Kape) I did outside the hotel. It didn't help, but it wasn't the main reason. It was all about the performance. I don't think it’s fair because we're martial arts, and I was 23 years old and 7-0 in the UFC. I can't be the best Mokaev with flying knees every fight. Sometimes the fight can be ugly, depending on the opponent. I basically felt I was going to get cut."
Mokaev has bounced between promotions during his year in the wilderness. MMA wins with Brave Combat Federation and 971 FC—bookending a knockout victory in Karate Combat—have kept the Manchester-based Dagestani busy. Still, he hasn’t given up hope of one day returning to the Octagon.
"I think I'm going to win a couple more fights, and I want to sit down with UFC and talk to them because I want to see what's next for my career, and I believe there's a chance for me to come back and take the belt," Mokaev said. "I'm not saying I'm going to run past Pantoja, Pantoja is one of the toughest opponents, but I have trained with him and I don't see anything special."
