“You have put yourself in this situation”

The story of Muhammad Mokaev’s departure from the UFC is unforgettable and the undefeated and unnoticed flyweight is one of the reasons why his departure from the association is still being discussed.

During the press conference following the premiere of Season 8 of the Dana White Contenders Series on Tuesday, August 13, the UFC president was asked to confirm one of Mokaev’s claims following his public announcement.

Longtime MMA writer John Morgan asked White if Mokaev had asked if he could fight in the UFC for free to prove he was still worthy of being part of the organization. White denied this, saying, “Nobody fights for free.”

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Mokaev said he would fight for free, but according to White, that is not true.

To summarize Mokaev’s position and potentially end the discussion surrounding him and the UFC – at least for now – White added:

“I wasn’t involved in anything that happened to him. The matchmakers and Hunter were, and they weren’t happy with him. They weren’t happy with his behavior. They weren’t happy with a lot of the things he did and said. I guess you can look back now and regret it, but you did it. You did it and you put yourself in that position.”

Here is a look at the press conference video:

Mokaev admitted to tricking his opponent Manel Kape into taking a photo with him at a hotel, only to then throw a sneaky punch at him. Fellow flyweight Steve Erceg said Mokaev verbally abused UFC staff, which seems to line up with what White said about the Dagestani fighter when discussing his exit from the promotion.

White also said that the matchmakers didn’t like Mokaev’s tough wrestling style. Despite being 23 years old and undefeated, Mokaev had to find a second promotion because the Professional Fighters League had no interest in signing him.

Several MMA fighters, including UFC featherweight contender and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, disagreed with the UFC’s decision to cut ties with Mokaev.

Sterling called it unfair and said Mokaev “more than deserves a second chance.” It’s odd to see such a young and successful fighter released for bad behavior when the promotion has tolerated many missteps by others.

Hopefully, Mokaev’s fighting style is not a deciding factor in the decision to throw him out. The UFC could be playing a dangerous game by putting so much emphasis on finishes. While no one will deny that finishes are more exciting ways to end fights, it’s not a good idea to push fighters to go for the KO or submission when that becomes more important than simply winning.

At the end of the day, it’s still a sport. In sports, wins and losses should be the ultimate measure of success and failure.

Mokaev recently said he has signed with a promotion but did not name an organization. He also claimed to have received interest from Brave CF, Rizin, PFL, Karate Combat and ACA.

Mokaev made it clear that his goal is to return to the UFC. Wherever he signs, he will sign with the promotion that can pave his way back to the world’s premier MMA promotion.

We’ll see if White and Co. ever give him a second chance or if they make a permanent example of him.