Dagestan-born English UFC fighter recollects night spent in Wigan mosque after deportation notice

Muhammad Mokaev signed with the UFC last year and soon cemented himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the promotion's flyweight division. After three victories in seven months, he proved he was ready to compete in MMA's biggest promotion.

However, things haven't always looked as bright as they do now for the 22-year-old Dagestan-born Englishman.

An accurate rags-to-riches tale, Mokaev's rise to being the No.12-ranked flyweight in the world's premier MMA promotion is undoubtedly inspiring.

Coming to England with his father as a refugee when he was just 12 years old, Mokaev joined the Manchester Wrestling Club in 2013. He proved his worth as a fighter after winning multiple freestyle wrestling championships before eventually getting signed by the UFC in 2022.

Check out the post below:

The surging flyweight recently took to Twitter to share memories of his early days in England and recalled almost getting deported from the country in 2017.

He wrote:

"Sitting in Wigan mosque night time asking Allah to change my life 2017 after I received deportation letter from the Home Office. No money over your beliefs and principles."

After a three-fight winning start to his promotional career, Muhammad Mokaev is now set to take on Jafel Fialho at UFC 286 in March. This will mark the mercurial fighter's third bout in England.

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UFC fighter Muhammad Mokaev recalls life-changing chat with UKMMAF president Nigel Burges in 2017

Muhammad Mokaev's impressive performances in the octagon have resulted in his popularity growing exponentially over the past year. The 22-year-old Dagestan-born Englishman recently shared a picture showing one of the most pivotal conversations of his life before becoming a UFC fighter.

In another recently posted tweet, 'The Punisher' revisited his chat with the president of the UK Mixed Martial Arts Federation (UKMMAF) Nigel Burges in 2017.

Mokaev took the opportunity to thank Burges for granting him the opportunity to bring home the highest honors. He wrote:

"[In] 2017 I sent a message to UKMMAF president Nigel Burges. Since then I brought 4 @IMMAFed gold medals for UK , the most IMMAF medals in UKs history and undefeated amateur record of 23-0. Thank you for giving me this opportunity Nigel."

Muhammad Mokaev is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring fighters in the UFC. While only 22 years old, the Dagestan-born Englishman is already gunning to become the youngest champion in promotional history and already boasts of being the youngest-ranked fighter in the promotion.