Who is Muhammad Mokaev, the new flyweight prospect signed by the UFC?

UFC new recruit Muhammad Mokaev is one of the hottest prospects from the Middle Eastern MMA scene. The promotion announced on Wednesday that Mokaev, who mostly competed under the BRAVE Combat Federation banner, has taken his talents to the UFC.

The acquisition was announced earlier by UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard. In a statement, Maynard said:

"Muhammad is a flyweight I had been keeping an eye on for quite some time. He is very experienced at only 21 years old with almost 30 fights when you combine amateur and pro bouts. He is undefeated, dynamic and very charismatic. Mohammad sees himself as a flyweight Khabib. He is a perfect fit for this young, fun division."

The 21-year-old has been in the spotlight for some time now after showing tremendous promise during his seven professional MMA bouts. The Dagestani-born Englishman currently boasts six wins and one no-contest.

Despite being fairly inexperienced as a pro, Mokaev's success as an amateur is unparalleled. 'The Punisher' reportedly owns an amateur record of 22 wins and zero losses under the IMMAF banner.

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Muhammad Mokaev's career highlights

Muhammad Mokaev made his pro debut in August 2020 at BRAVE CF 37. He quickly established his dominance as he went on to defeat Glenn McVeigh via unanimous decision.

The up-and-comer went on to finish his next two fights by way of submission before earning another unanimous decision nod against Abdul Hussein in March. Mokaev's showdown with Ibragim Navruzov in June ended unceremoniously after the young star inadvertedly landed a low blow. He returned three months later and tapped Blaine O’Driscoll out at BRAVE CF 54.

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Muhammad Mokaev catches the attention of Khabib Nurmagomedov

Like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Muhammad Mokaev wears the papakha into his fights as a tribute to his homeland. His dominance in the amateur scene reportedly caught the attention of the former UFC lightweight champ, who encouraged him to keep up the good work.

Although Mokaev admitted that he looks up to his fellow Dagestani, he believes that there's a huge difference between the two of them. In an interview with CNN, Mokaev said:

"My charisma is different [than] Khabib's because people found out about Khabib maybe when he was on a like a 26-fight winning streak, maybe 27. People knew about me when I was [on] like my third amateur fight. The difference when I get to that level, you will see the difference."