Mokaev, released by Dana White, handed UFC BJJ title shot offer

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The former flyweight contender was released from the UFC, and the split didn’t end on good terms.

In 2022, rising flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokaev joined the promotion, entering with a fair amount of buzz surrounding him.

‘The Punisher’ made an immediate impact, quickly becoming a contender in the 125lb division with six straight wins under his belt.

But even after picking up a win over Manel Kape in 2024, it was surprisingly announced that Mokaev had been released by the UFC.

Mokaev gets shot at UFC BJJ title

After his release, Dana White stated that he was acting on advice from matchmakers, who found Mokaev difficult to work with.

But Mokaev hasn’t let that slow him down. Since leaving the UFC, he’s put together three straight wins and even recaptured the BRAVE CF flyweight belt.

Despite his exit, there’s still a lot of hope among fans that he’ll find his way back to the top level one day.

Now there might be a new opportunity on the horizon. On Monday night, Mokaev shared that he’s been offered a spot in UFC BJJ, the promotion’s grappling organisation.

The event launched in June 2023 at the Meta Apex facility, with Mikey Musumeci taking on Rerisson Gabriel in what ended up being an exciting championship fight.

Musumeci has already defended his belt once and is lined up for another defence against Shay Montague at UFC BJJ 5 on February 12th.

Mokaev took to X to say: “I have been offered to compete against Mikey Musumeci for the UFC BJJ belt. What do you guys think?”

No word yet if this offer is for this Thursday or sometime after, but either way it’d be an interesting move for both sides involved.

UFC BJJ offer could open door to return for Muhammad Mokaev

Despite his release, the 25-year-old remains optimistic about repairing his relationship with the UFC and earning another shot inside their cage.

The move comes at a time when he’s looking for a way back into favour with the organisation, and this could be exactly what he needs to start that process.