Muhammad Mokaev claims that several ranked fighters, including Matt Schnell, David Dvorak, Tim Elliott, and Sumudaerji, have turned down the opportunity to face him, and he will instead fight Contender Series veteran Jafel Filho because the matchmakers couldn’t find anyone with a number next to their name who would accept the challenge.
Muhammad Mokaev, an undefeated prospect in the flyweight division, has called out several ranked fighters who have turned down the opportunity to face him. Mokaev has been struggling to climb up the ladder in his weight class as he couldn’t get anyone with a number next to their name to accept his challenge. He will now face Contender Series veteran Jafel Filho, as many others declined to fight him. Mokaev claims that fighters like Matt Schnell, David Dvorak, Tim Elliott, and Sumudaerji have all declined a fight against him.
Mokaev revealed this information in an interview with MMA Fighting. He expressed his frustration stating that he cannot get anyone from the top 15 to fight him, and he just wants to stay busy and climb the rankings. Mokaev mentioned that originally he wanted a matchup with Amir Albazi, but he declined to fight him, saying that he needs to deserve to fight top 15 guys. He tried to revisit the matchup as they were both available again, but this time, he was rejected because he wasn’t ranked high enough.
Mokaev seems very upset about Albazi’s rejection and the fact that other ranked fighters won’t give him the time of day. However, he refuses to play the same games when it comes to his own career. He wants to put together a resume that will lead him to a title shot, and he knows that none of that happens if he’s turning down fights. Mokaev will keep taking on whoever the UFC throws at him until there’s just no one left.
Mokaev aims to be the youngest UFC champion, and he wants to remain active to please the fans. He mentioned being a fan of Tony Ferguson and Rustam Khabilov, who always stayed active. He said that he is risking his spot by fighting Jafel Filho because he wants to stay busy and fight. “This is fighting,” Mokaev said.