At the very least, unusual. Amidst the shortage of athletes in the flyweight division (up to 56,7kg.) Dana White did not hesitate and publicly declared that he had no interest in renewing his contract with Muhammad Mokayev after UFC 304. Despite the Russian being undefeated and ranked among the top 10 in the division, the president assured that representatives do not like the fighter and opened the door for PFL to sign him next.
“We advise fighters on how to fight. We've been doing this for a long time. I'm sure one of those responsible for booking fights (matchmakers) probably said something like that to him. They are not big fans of Mokaev for several reasons. There are many athletes who look for takedowns in fights, you know? Many struggle with this style. He is no longer under contract. I think the PFL is interested in signing him, an undefeated athlete. Good luck to them”, declared Dana at a press conference after UFC 304.
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According to the president, the reason for this attitude is not due to the fighting style presented by the Russian, who tirelessly seeks takedowns, but rather because of attitudes outside the octagon.
“For several reasons. Listen, for all this stuff that happened here (fight between Mokaev with Manel kape behind the scenes and when entering the octagon), in recent months, (problems) at the UFC Performance Institute and for other reasons that these guys don't want to renew their contract”, he concluded.
At the age of 23, Mokaev defeated Manel kape at UFC 304, in the last fight of the contract signed with the organization. A flyweight prospect, the fighter has 12 wins on his record and is known for his talent in grappling. So far, the Russian has not commented on Dana White's statement.
