Muhammad Mokaev (16-0, 1NC), a former UFC flyweight and undefeated talent released by the UFC under controversial circumstances, was to have faced Adriano Moraes (21-6) at the event on May 16, 2026.

However, with Mokaev encountering visa issues, it’s Phumi Nkuta stepping in to take his place.

News of Nkuta’s involvement was first reported by MMA Junkie’s Nolan King.

Per Mokaev, his visa wasn’t rejected, he simply wasn’t given an appointment in time to secure it. He also revealed that he had warned Moraes of the possible complication weeks ago.

“Four weeks out I texted my opponent, I did my full camp, visa wasn’t refused, just couldn’t [find] appointment slots,” Mokaev stated on social media in response to the news.

Nkuta (11-0) has won titles in Cage Fury FC and Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat. He’s long been considered a prospect at flyweight, one with serious UFC potential, but has yet to been given a shot by the promotion.

Moraes is a former ONE Championship champ best known for his series with flyweight great Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. He’s the first and only fighter to stop Johnson, in the pair’s first encounter in 2021. Johnson would win the following two fights in their trilogy.

MVP MMA 1 airs on Netflix on Saturday, May 16, 2026 with Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano headlining. Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins and Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry also feature on the card.

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Muhammad Mokaev, who was unceremoniously bounced from the promotion last year over actions outside of the cage, will face Gerard Burns on November 7 for the Brave CF 125lb title.

Promotion officials announced the news on Friday.

Mokaev (15-0, 1NC) had a decorated amateur career with the IMMAF, and went 22-0 before turning pro. He came into the UFC one of the biggest prospects in years, and lived up to that billing – until it all came crashing down during a feud with Manel Kape that culminated in a disappointing fight at UFC 304.

“The Punisher” defeated Kape by decision that night, but in the build-up to the fight, had sparked a confrontation with his opponent at the UFC PI. As UFC CEO and President Dana White said following that event, “There was so much bad sh*t that happened behind the scenes with that thing. Not good.”

The release of an unbeaten prospect, alongside White stating that “the PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy,” raised eyebrows at the time, though White made it clear that the UFC’s matchmakers were not fans of Mokaev.

He’s since won two fights under the Brace CF banner, where he competed prior to the UFC. His last bout came at bantamweight, though it’s back to 125lbs next month.

Burns (7-1) has won six straight, and is a former Cage Conflict flyweight champ.

Brave CF 100 takes place Nov. 7, 2025 in Isa Town, Bahrain.

The post Muhammad Mokaev Books Title Fight at Brave CF 100 appeared first on Cageside Press.

First reported by MMAFighting.

Mokaev (12-0) will fight for the first time since beating Manel Kape at UFC 304 in July. Following the event UFC CEO Dana White said that they would not re-sign the flyweight.

“I think the PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy. Good luck to him,” he said at his post-fight scrum at UFC 304.

White was not happy with some of the stuff Mokaev did behind the scenes including throwing a sucker punch at Kape.

“I always say this, that this is an opportunity to be here and to perform in front of the entire world. He’s just a guy that did everything wrong and pissed these guys off. I wasn’t involved in any of the stuff that happened with him,” White told reporters following DWCS 67.

“The matchmakers and Hunter (Campbell) were (involved), and they weren’t happy with him. They weren’t happy with the way he acted. They weren’t happy with a lot of things he did and said. I guess you can look back now and regret it, but you did it, and you put yourself in this position.”

Mokaev has said that no matter where he signed the ultimate goal is to make his way back to the UFC. He’s told MMA Junkie that he’s been told that he’d be back in the UFC.

“I spoke to Hunter (Campbell) straight after what happened in Manchester. He said, ‘We will see you back in the UFC,’ but maybe they want to see me mature more outside the octagon. Whatever happened, I’m ready to come back now. I’m fighting in BRAVE, so whenever they call me, I’m ready. I want to become UFC champion, and I knew I could because I was very, very close to it,” he said.

Muhammad Mokaev has said he believes he will make his return to the UFC in 2025.

The post Muhammad Mokaev Returns To Action At Brave FC 91 appeared first on Cageside Press.

That Dana White and co. opted to let one of the hottest talents in the flyweight division slip away, reportedly because he was difficult to deal with, took many by surprise. Yes, Mokaev brought much of it on himself when he sucker-punched UFC 304 opponent Manal Kape ahead of their fight, but that was far from the first time the UFC had endured such an incident.

23-years old, and undefeated, seemed like a get out of jail free card. It wasn’t.

Barely days later, PFL President of Fighter Operations Ray Sefo claimed the league wasn’t interested in Mokaev. “I’ve heard he’s a pain in the ass,” Sefo reportedly stated. After Mokaev suggested the PFL had reached out to him, former Bellator matchmaker and current PFL exec Mike Kogan publicly called him a liar.

Yet just as suddenly, it appears the PFL has changed course. In an exclusive interview with Sherdog, PFL CEO Peter Murray was signing Mokaev’s praises, calling him the future face of a possible flyweight division for the company.

“Whether it’s Muhammad coming into the PFL system in one of our franchises, whether that be the global season or Bellator, and others like him, I think it’s a real opportunity — in particular with international talent in the flyweight weight class. Muhammad is the real deal; a lot of respect for him,” Murray stated.

“I believe Muhammad Mokaev could absolutely be the future face of flyweights within the Professional Fighters League, should that be a weight class we open up in the Global Season or within our Bellator platform,” he went on to add. “It’s absolutely something we’re looking at and this kid [Mokaev] is impressive.”

Sounds like Mokaev could have a future with the league, should he still be interested.

The post PFL Changes Course on Mokaev: “Could Be the Future Face of Flyweights” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Following UFC 304 CEO Dana White told the media that Mokaev, 23, would not be re-signed to the promotion following the completion of his contract. The victory over Kape marked the last fight on Mokaev’s contract with the young flyweight hoping for a new one.

White squashed that at his post-fight scrum.

Dana White says the UFC is not interested in re-signing Muhammad Mokaev following #UFC304

🎥: @Patrick_McCorry pic.twitter.com/hSDhVlbl6h

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) July 28, 2024

  Mokaev had an eventful fight week with multiple altercations with Kape. First at the fighter hotel the two, and their teams, attempted to get at each other.

Team Mokaev & Team Kape got into an altercation at the fighters hotel, possibly due to the earlier rumours of a bloody altercation at the UFC PI🫣 (via @RedCorner_MMA) pic.twitter.com/zA6T0sLgpB

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 25, 2024

Then Mokaev asked Kape for a photo to squash the beef. That turned into Mokaev landing a sucker punch on Kape. Finally at ceremonial weigh-ins the two went at each other to the point that they couldn’t do a face-off and even tried to continue in the back.

Once the fight finally came they had to be held back by security while Bruce Buffer announced the fighters.

Following the bout, which Mokaev took by decision, he told the media he was hoping to return to the UFC.

Muhammad Mokaev hopes the UFC brings him back. #UFC304

Note: This was prior to UFC CEO Dana White’s post-fight scrum.

🎥: @Patrick_McCorry pic.twitter.com/2Xsnu0Bak1

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) July 28, 2024

Following reports that the UFC had opted to not re-sign Mokaev due to the flyweight’s team reaching out to other promotions before his UFC contract was up, White made his announcement at the post-fight presser.

Just a couple days later Mokaev spoke out to squash rumors.

Muhammad Mokaev took to social media to state his case in hopes the UFC will bring him back. #UFC304 pic.twitter.com/c4uYZ6ns5p

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) July 30, 2024

“My dream is to become UFC Champion.

I turn them all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family! btw PFL don’t have flyweight division

All these journalists that make sh*t up are idiots! I hope Dana resigns me, this is my dream to become champion!”, Mokaev wrote in one post.

He continued giving some detail as to how the feud go so bad.

“This is the first time I punched outside the cage, it was more personal

He was the one who head butted 5 days before Perez fight when I went to shake his hand in Vegas! I understand, this is wrong what happen at the hotel and I apologise to the UFC, but there’s some nights I didn’t sleep because someone treated me like that, I never been cheap shot on the streets

I will never let anyone bully me and I never bullied anyone, but whatever happened it happened, I don’t wanna keep going about it but I will take big lesson from it!”

His manager, Tim Simpson, told Damon Martin that rumors of Mokaev’s UFC exit being linked to negotiations with PFL while still under contract were “completely false”.

The UFC has yet to provide an official statement on the matter.

The post Mokaev Speaks Out On UFC 304 Controversy, Hopes To Return appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mokaev, who had an illustrious amateur run that saw him go undefeated through 23 fights, has started his pro career at 13-0, with a single No Contest in the mix. The Dagestani, calling England home, has been a rising star in the flyweight division, but multiple Fight Week encounters with UFC 304 opponent Manel Kape, including a sucker punch during a photo op, a back-and-forth at the ceremonial weigh-ins, and a skirmish in the cage during their introductions in Manchester, have helped sour the UFC on the 23-year old.

In fact, following Saturday, Muhammad Mokaev is no longer a UFC fighter. He admitted as much after the event, but expressed hopes that the promotion would both bring him back, and offer him a title shot.

“I want to fight for the belt, and I hope the UFC gives me a new contract,” Mokaev told media outlets including Cageside Press following his fight. “I’m finished my contract, my contract is finished with the UFC. I hope they give me a new contract. I know they want exciting fights, I tried to put my striking together. For the first time in my career, I was standing three rounds, with the best flyweight striker I believe.”

His hopes may be dashed. Mokaev later admitted to setting up Kape for a sucker punch during UFC 304’s Fight Week, after alleging that Kape head butted him during training five days before his fight with Alex Perez earlier this year.

“We shook hands with Manel; whoever asked me about Las Vegas, I said what was between me and Kape stays in Vegas. And in an interview, he said once he comes to Manchester, he’s going to do it a second time,” explained Mokaev, going on to claim that it was Kape who had been a bully.

“I couldn’t come close to him in the hotel, so I told him, let’s come take picture. Once he came, I dropped him. I had to do it, because I’m not Alex Perez, I’m not other guys who, somebody can bully me. I come from a rough background, my life was tough and I give no sh*t to bully me to anyone.”

Mokaev later addressed UFC President and CEO Dana White, saying “Dana please give me a new contract. I’m young, I’m 23-years old, 7-0 in the UFC. I don’t know who’s done this apart from Jon Jones.” He added that the promotion had declined to re-sign him, concerned with his takedown-heavy approach.

White himself scoffed at those comments later in the night.

“There was so much bad sh*t that happened behind the scenes with that thing. Not good,” stated White at the post-fight press conference, before addressing the “takedown” comments Mokaev had made.

“Yeah that’s what we tell guys, we tell guys how to fight,” White sarcastically stated. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m sure one of the matchmakers probably said something to him or whatever, but yeah, the matchmakers aren’t big fans of his, for many different reasons. Not just takedowns. There’s a lot of people who shoot takedowns in this business. A lot of guys that fight with that kind of style, but it’s a lot more than just that.”

Asked specifically about bringing Mokaev back, White confirmed that “he’s not under contract anymore,” adding “I think the PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy. Good luck to him.”

Dana White was not impressed with Mokaev vs. Kape as a whole, which after a heated build-up fizzled in the cage, especially after Kape appeared to break his toe. “We kind of figured how this fight was going to go. Historically, that’s how they go.”

When it comes to Mokaev not being asked back, should that indeed happen, it appears there’s more to it than just Fight Week drama. “Listen, the stuff that played out here over the last several months, that started at the PI, other stories of this breaking out, plus many other things – these guys [the UFC matchmakers] don’t want to re-sign him,” said White.

Watch the full UFC 304 post-fight press conference with Muhammad Mokaev above.

The post Muhammad Mokaev Wants New Contract, Title Shot but Dana White Suggests PFL Is Next appeared first on Cageside Press.

A fight that could produce the next title challenger at 125lbs, Mokaev vs. Kape had seen several skirmishes in advance of Fight Night, including at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins. With Mokaev undefeated and Kape a former RIZIN champ long seen as a title hopeful, expectations were high heading into the match-up.

The fight couldn’t even start before Kape rushed at Mokaev, having to be stopped by security all around the cage. As much as the fighters seemed to be at each other’s throat in the build up to the fight, it certainly was a very patient first round. Mokaev was able to use his kicks to keep Kape at bay for the entire first round. Kape got going a little towards the end of the round hitting Mokaev with a right hand that forced Mokaev to shoot to end the round.

THESE TWO CAN'T WAIT TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON EACH OTHER 😱@MuhammadMokaev vs @ManelKape is LIVE RIGHT NOW on @ESPNPlus! #UFC304 pic.twitter.com/5crF0UShG3

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2024

The second round got underway with Mokaev landing a huge right hand but in the exchange Kape seemed to have hurt his toe, potentially breaking it. Mokaev finally had success with his wrestling but grabbed Kape’s shorts blatantly. Mike Beltran, the referee of the bout, had to intervene and issue a very strong warning, taking the position away. Mokaev was able to keep Kape away with kicks most of the round even though Kape was the pressure fighter. Kape seemed to have an issue moving around on his right foot, not surprisingly. Ten minutes into the fight and their was still not much action, but Mokaev was the busier fighter through two rounds.

In the third and final round Mokaev was able to have success taking down Kape who tried to jump guillotine. Mokaev was able to slip out eventually but ate some nasty elbows from Kape in return. Mokaev seemed to have for a knee bar but Kape was able to defend to get back to his feet. The round ended in a couple of scrambles with Mokaev hanging on for a unanimous decision win on the cards. The two seemed to have bury the hatchet after the fight sharing a hug and some words.

Mokaev called for fans after the fight to “give a clap for Manel Kape,” calling him a great fighter. Daniel Cormier asked him what he wanted next and Mokaev stated “I want a title shot.” After this win over Manel Kape he might just be on his way to a date with UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Official Result: Muhammad Mokaev def. Manel Kape by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)

The post Injured Toe Hampers Manel Kape, Muhammad Mokaev Wins UFC 304 Grudge Match appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kape said that Mokaev left American Top Team because flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja would submit him in training more often than not.

“100% he made that up,” Mokaev told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“I have trained with Pantoja’s coach in his gym. I have trained with him. It’s definitely between me and Pantoja equal rounds like everybody’s seen in the gym. Why he’s worried who tapped me out? I do get tapped in the gym. I do get knocked down in the gym. I do lose rounds in the gym. Ok that’s the gym.”

Posting on Instagram that he was on FaceTime with Khabib Nurmagomedov the former UFC lightweight champion Kape said that he may be more Dagestani than Mokaev. Mokaev, who was born in Dagestan in 2000 scoffed at the caption.

“So if he believes Khabib FaceTime him make (his) wrestling better? I think people should buy (Khabib’s time) of FaceTime,” he said.

While Mokaev is ready to fight Kape at UFC 304 it’s still worth mentioning that Kape has had issues making weight in the past. Mokaev isn’t worried about that however.

“No I don’t think (he will miss) because I think he will get cut from UFC if he misses weight,” he said.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Muhammad Mokaev above. He takes on Manel Kape at UFC 304 on Saturday night.

The post Muhammad Mokaev Scoffs At Kape’s Pantoja Claim appeared first on Cageside Press.

The PPV event takes place on July 27, 2024 at the Co-Op Live in Manchester, England. The match-up comes in the wake of champ Alexandre Pantoja successfully defending his title against Steve Erceg in Brazil this past weekend. Mokaev announced the booking on social media on Wednesday.

Manel Kape (19-6), a former RIZIN bantamweight champ, has won his last four fights in the UFC, most recently taking Felipe Dos Santos the distance. However, a rematch with Matheus Nicolau earlier this year fell through when Kape missed weight for the fight, then pulled out of a rescheduled date in April, later to be replaced by Alex Perez.

Kape’s weight miss is a concern due to “Starboy” having also missed the mark for a 2021 win against Ode’ Osbourne.

Muhammad Mokaev (12-0, 1NC) will be at home in England once again this July, looking to extend his undefeated record. Having never lost as a pro or an amateur, the 23-year old will look to build off a win over Alex Perez. Mokaev has in fact defeated former UFC title challengers on two straight occasions, with Tim Elliott submitting to the top prospect one fight prior.

Mokaev is currently ranked #6, and Kape #7 in the UFC flyweight division.

Reported for UFC 304 to date are the following match-ups:

• Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
• Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
• Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape

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