London, England — Flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokaev came away from Saturday’s UFC London card, the second visit to the O2 Arena for the promotion this year, with his second UFC win.
This time, Mokaev (7-0, 1NC) went the distance with Charles Johnson, a former LFA champ about a decade his elder. The end result, Mokaev’s wrestling was too much for Johnson to handle. The 21-year old won a one-sided unanimous decision.
After the fight, Mokaev chose to highlight the strong British role models he saw off and on the card — and was critical of the attention certain other fighters were getting.
“There’s so many guys that don’t get a lot of media attention, [that] they should get,” Mokaev said backstage at the O2, speaking to reporters including Cageside Press. “Example, it’s Arnold Allen. It’s Leon Edwards. It’s Tom Aspinall. Nathaniel Wood. These guys are amazing, good examples.”
“I don’t disrespect the media, guys, but you give these bullsh*t guys like Paddy Pimblett attention,” he continued. “These guys never, ever reach top 15. Like realistically, [those] who understands MMA, they will never reach [the top 15].” Mokaev also questioned Pimblett as a role model. “I don’t think he’s a great role model for young guys. Please follow Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Leon Edwards. Real men, men outside the cage and inside the cage. I’m proud to be on the same card as a man like Tom Aspinall.”
At the same time, Mokaev knows social media is a growing part of the fight game. He recently posted a photo with an AK-47 on his own social media presence, but insisted that he’s “not a bad boy.” Mokaev then proceeded to apologize for flipping the bird during Friday’s weigh-in.
“I want to apologize about, I put finger up at the weigh-ins. This is not my personalty,” he stated. “I got a little bit emotional because I had a crazy week with this bullsh*t politician in Russia. He tried to call me traitor for lifting the U.K. flag. A little bit of this week, I was a little bit in my head. My [mind] was off the fight.”
In terms of a return, Muhammad Mokaev is looking at the UFC 280 card in Abu Dhabi this fall. Preferably against a top 15 opponent.
“Top 15. Top 15, anybody. I’m ready, skill-wise. I’m ready, ready to fight. I spar, we had crazier sparring backstage than actually in the fight. I think next time, please camera, come and record our backstage sparring. I want to fight, I just want to fight anybody.”
Watch the full UFC London post-fight press scrum with Muhammad Mokaev above.
