Mokaev explains why he sucker punched Kape: ‘I won’t let anyone bully me’

Despite winning his UFC 304 fight against Manel Kape, Muhammad Mokaev has found himself without a job in the UFC.

Following the event, UFC CEO Dana White announced the promotion would not be re-signing Mokaev, who completed the last fight on his contract in Manchester. Mokaev had suggested it was his wrestling-heavy fighting style that the promotion wasn’t a fan of. White said that wasn’t the only reason.

“The matchmakers aren’t big fans of his for many different reasons,” White said. “There’s a lot of people who shoot takedowns in this business, a lot of guys that fight with that type of style. But it’s a lot more than just that.”

Perhaps it’s been all the drama that has surrounded Mokaev over his last two fights with Manel Kape. The two men got into an altercation at the UFC Apex that saw Kape headbutt Mokaev. Mokaev got his revenge in a Manchester fighter hotel brawl, and the two clashed again at the ceremonial weigh-ins and even in the cage before the opening bell. If those incidents weren’t the last straw for UFC, the stinker of a fight with Kape certainly was.

Mokaev for his part was unrepentant over the pre-fight fight, which he admitted to setting up during a UFC 304 post-fight interview.

“In an interview, [Kape] said if he comes to Manchester, he’s going to [attack me] a second time,” he said. “I couldn’t come close to him in the hotel, so I told him let’s come take a picture. And once he came, I dropped him.”

“I’m not other guys who, somebody can bully me. “I come from a rough background. My life was tough and I give no s— to anyone to bully me.”

There were signs that Mokaev was out of favor with the UFC coming into the British event. The bout schedule for the event was set with the flyweight contender competing on the main card. But as the event approached, his fight with Kape was moved onto the early prelims.

Now the man who hoped to become the youngest UFC champion in history finds himself outside the promotion with little chance of returning any time soon.