Exciting UFC Alum Throws Down with Former ONE Champ in May

Mar 24, 20261 months ago3 min read

Muhammad Mokaev, fighting Adriano Moraes in May.

Heading into arguably the biggest card he has ever competed on, English MMA star and once UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev will have the chance to shine on the international stage once more when he faces a former champion in two months. Muhammad Mok...

Muhammad Mokaev Prepares to Return to Competition May 16

Since his departure from the promotion in 2024, previous UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev has done incredibly well for himself. Furthering his already splendid undefeated record, “The Punisher” has rattled off four straight wins in combat sports, with three of those victories happening in MMA and one in Karate Combat.

Standing now as one of the hottest names in combat sports not signed to a major organization, Muhammad Mokaev, “The Punisher” is set to make his Netflix debut this coming May when he competes at the blockbuster MVP MMA 1: Rousey vs. Carano event. In the most high-profile scrap of his post-UFC run, Muhammad Mokaev will lock horns with ONE Championship veteran Adriano Moraes.

Muhammad Mokaev Coming in Off of KO Victory in Brave CF 100

For the 25-year old Muhammad Mokaev, his upcoming confrontation with Moraes represents the largest step up in competition he has contended with in quite some time. Leading up to the bout, the Russian-born athlete is coming off of an amazing second stint in BRAVE CF.

Rejoining the company two years ago, the former UFC flyweight phenom had racked up two consecutive wins inside their cage, both of which came inside the distance. His last fight under their banner took place this past November at BRAVE CF 100, where Muhammad Mokaev won their 125-lb title with a blistering head kick knockout over Gerard Burns.

With his stock the highest it has ever been as a mixed martial artist, Muhammad Mokaev is seeking to make himself undeniable to be brought back as a bona fide UFC flyweight contender by picking up a triumph over a Brazilian legend in the venerable Moraes. However, given his own accomplishments at the highest-level of fighting, “Mikinho” will undoubtedly make their Netflix-broadcasted showdown a night to remember.

Adriano Moraes Has Battled Best MMA Fighters on the Planet

In his almost 15-year tenure as a professional fighter, Adriano Moraes has seen and done it all. Winning his first nine tilts on the South American regional scene, he went on to make his ONE Championship debut in 2013, losing a close split decision to Yusup Saadulaev. For nearly the next decade, though, he would largely stay on top as a pound-for-pound great in the promotion, going 11-2 in his next 13 bouts and scoring the ONE flyweight and bantamweight thrones. His most notable accolade in that stretch of time came in his first championship defense of the latter when he managed to knock out previous UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson.

After a subsequent rematch with “Mighty Mouse,” Moraes has struggled with consistency, losing two out of his next three contests, falling to Johnson in a trilogy scrap and Yuya Wakamatsu, a man he had bested in the past. For the 36-year old Brazilian, his match with Mokaev can serve as a fitting capstone for his credentialed career should he find a way to hand the prodigy his first-ever defeat.

While he will surely be in for a considerable payday either way, a victory over a preeminent competitor could be all that Moraes needs to walk off into the sunset after devoting almost 20 years of his life to professional MMA.