“I Like What He’s About” — Mokaev Praises Burns but Promises to Show His Class

Muhammad Mokaev is ready to remind the world what he’s capable of.

Mokaev (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is set to face Gerard Burns (7-1) for the inaugural Brave CF flyweight world title at the Bahrain-based organization’s centenary event this Friday.

“The Punisher” has stayed active since parting ways with the UFC after his win over Manel Kape at UFC 304 in April 2024, earning victories under both the Brave CF and 971 FC banners, along with a win at Karate Combat 54.

As he prepares to return to action this week in the promotion where he made his professional debut back in 2020, the 25-year-old is grateful for the opportunity to once again step into the spotlight and test himself against an opponent who promises to be a true challenge.

“I think he's a good opponent,” Mokaev says of Burns. “I think he's an interesting opponent. And for me especially, I like his talking. I like the way he talks and helps to build up the fight. I think all Irish people do this well, and it's good for me, for my name, for organization, rather than fighting just another face who doesn’t bring any personality to the table, who just says things like “I’ll do my talking inside the cage,” or that he’s gonna kill me or something boring. I like what he’s about…he’s a very good fighter.”

"There's Levels to This Game"

Former Cage Conflict champion Burns enters Friday’s bout at Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town, Bahrain, riding a six-fight winning streak, with the last four of those victories coming under the Brave banner.

While the Irishman has looked impressive in recent outings, Mokaev believes his own experience will be the deciding factor in Friday’s fight. Between 2015 and 2020, Mokaev went 23-0 as an amateur, winning the IMMAF World Championships twice. Now undefeated as a professional, he is confident that Burns will be out of his depth when they meet inside the cage this week.

“There's levels to this game right,” he says. “I have 38 fights and when I was winning my second world championships in the IMMAFs (which isn’t easy to do) he was just beginning his career and I think my experience is well above his game. He's a good kid, he's a dog, I think he's got good heart and he's got balls. He accepted the fight, he called me out, I like this matchup and I can’t wait to show my level once again.”