Dana White will not bring Muhammad Mokaev back to the UFC, not even for a free fight.
Mokaev made the unusual offer to fight for free after it became clear that the UFC was serious about not re-signing him after his contract expired at UFC 304. The young flyweight contender had spent the week sparring with opponent Manel Kape all over Manchester. But when it came time to actually fight in the cage, Mokaev used his in-ring skills to keep Kape neutral for 15 uneventful minutes.
After the event, UFC CEO Dana White said Mokaev was welcome to sign with the PFL as the UFC was no longer interested in working with him. And following the return of the Contender Series yesterday, White confirmed that those plans would not change.
“Nobody is going to fight for free,” White said of Mokaev’s desperate offer. “People can talk all they want about how much crap we’re paying, but nobody is going to fight for free.”
“It is what it is,” he continued. “I always say: This is an opportunity to be here and perform in front of the whole world. And (Mokaev) is just a guy who did everything wrong and pissed these guys off.”
“I wasn’t involved in anything that happened with him, but the matchmakers and Hunter (Campbell) were. And they were not happy with him. They were not happy with his behavior. They were not happy with a lot of the things he did and said.”
“I guess you can look back now and regret it,” White concluded. “But you did it. You did it and you put yourself in that position.”
Mokaev leaves the UFC with a perfect record of 7-0. Where he will go next is currently unclear, but one thing is for sure: it will not be the PFL.
