UFC London: Muhammad Mokaev Believes He Could Be Just Two or Three Fights From Title

London — Debuting flyweight Muhammad Mokaev kicked off the UFC London card in style.

A multi-time world champion as an amateur, and undefeated as a pro, Mokaev stunned Cody Durden with a flying knee, then instantly pounced on a choke. Durden fought the guillotine as best he could, but the night belonged to Mokaev — a Russian transplant now representing Great Britain.

Following the bout, Mokaev (6-0, 1NC) told media outlets including Cageside Press that he wants ranked opponents next, with the goal of fast-tracking to a title shot.

“Top 15 guys. I know there’s a top 10 guy. Tim Elliot. I would love to fight him,” Mokaev stated. “I know maybe people say ‘it’s too fast, you have to go through other guys.’ If Cody would beat me tonight, he would have been top 15. Let’s be realistic, he would be 2-1 in UFC, so why would you not put me in top 15? I’ll fight anybody in top 15. I want to fast track to a UFC title.”

While that may seem a bit soon, Mokaev spelled out exactly how quickly he wants to claim gold when asked about the different pace he fights at as a professional, compared to his amateur days — which saw him go 23-0 in barely five years.

“I’m away from [the] title maybe three fights, maximum. I think maybe two fights and I will fight for the title,” he told Cageside Press. That means getting back into camp and improving his skills is key for “The Punisher.”

As far as the fabled octagon jitters go, Mokaev did feel nerves on Saturday — but used them to his advantage.

“I think all human beings have nerves. Of course my debut against a guy who is 10 years older, a lot of pressure. I predicted this, I have to back up my words,” he explained. “I’m not messing around, like just mouthing off. But I use this energy for myself. To push me, to motivate me.”

Watch the full UFC London post-fight press scrum with Muhammad Mokaev above. More coverage can be found below.