UFC London: Muhammad Mokaev Says Debut Opponent Durden a “Simple, Simple Fighter”

London — Promotional newcomer Muhammad Mokaev was “counting [the] hours to eat, and smash this guy,” he said on Wednesday, ahead of his fight with Cody Durden at UFC London.

Mokaev (5-0, 1NC) joins the UFC as a decorated amateur fighter, taking on an opponent he specifically called out. That callout came following Durden’s fight with Qileng Aori, where the American made comments about sending Aori “back to China” that many took as racially motivated.

“I was actually watching this fight live. I always watch the flyweights and bantamweights. I was actually speaking to my manager, same time while we were watching it,” Mokaev explained during Wednesday’s UFC London media day. “I’m like ‘let’s get this guy next’ while the fight was on. Then he made these comments after [in the] interview, I’m like ‘let’s destroy this guy.'”

Mokaev also wanted to face someone who had been in the promotion for a bit, and Durden fit the bill, with this being his fourth fight. But, he added, Durden is a “simple, simple fighter.”

“I fought five times in five days in a row with different kinds of fighters, best in the world, back in amateur [fighting],” Mokaev recalled. “I believe there’s tough kids out there, and he’s not something different than others. He’s got two legs, two arms, and a head. Nothing special.”

Muhammad Mokaev’s signing by the UFC came with far more attention than most rookie fighters get. That’s thanks to Mokaev’s lengthy amateur run, which saw him win over twenty fights, and capture two world championships fighting the best amateur fighters in the world.

On Wednesday, he told Cageside Press that were it not for COVID, he might have gone after a third title.

“I was going to stay a little bit more amateur, to become three-time world champion, make history. But COVID happened,” he stated.

Regardless, that amateur run, which saw him go 23-0 in total, has him well prepared for the big leagues, Mokaev believes. “My amateur career is good, it’s exactly the same as UFC backstage. You’ve got like media, you’ve got weigh-ins, you have to make weight, also if you get knocked down, you’re not competing next day,” he told Cageside Press. “Injury free, making weight every day, if you don’t make weight, you’re out. It gets you prepared for the professional level. And showing up to the cage every day, after fighting decision fights against number one form each country, like Russians, like Americans, around the world, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, there’s so many good countries. Competing against number ones, it’s really difficult.”

But, continued Mokaev, you still “have to get up the next morning, make championship weight, and fight again without injuries. It is difficult, but if you go past that stage, professional career is easier. Make weight once, and then you fight.”

Earlier in Wednesday’s media session, Mokaev stated his desire to become the youngest UFC champion. Other fighters have made similar statements before, and it seems like added pressure — but Mokaev doesn’t feel that way.

“No, I don’t. What pressure? From who? My team believes in me, my close people believe in me, I have supporters who believe in me. It’s a journey. It’s not like, if I don’t make it by 2023, I’m going to be a bad guy. I believe I can, and I will do everything that is possible to get that goal.”

Watch the full UFC London media day scrum with Muhammad Mokaev above. More coverage from the event can be found below. Mokaev faces Cody Durden at the Fight Night card this Saturday, March 19, 2022 at the O2 Arena in London, England.