Muhammad Mokaev Turned Down a UFC BJJ Title Fight for One Key Reason

Muhammad Mokaev has remained focused on getting back to the UFC since leaving the promotion in 2024. That made a recent offer particularly interesting, although it did not involve an MMA fight. In an interview with BBC Sport’s Keifer MacDonald, Mokaev said the UFC approached him about facing Mikey Musumeci for a UFC BJJ title. He was willing to accept the matchup, but only if it came with something more.

Muhammad Mokaev Wanted More Than a BJJ Fight

According to Mokaev, the UFC offered him $10,000 to compete against Mikey Musumeci in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The money was not enough to convince him on its own. He wanted the grappling bout to be tied to a return to the UFC’s MMA roster. That didn't happen.

 

“They said, ‘No, this is different. BJJ is different. This is different. We have other plans.’ I told them where to go.”

 

Mokaev made it clear that his problem was not with Musumeci. The five-time world champion would have given him another high-level test, but the fight did not bring him any closer to the UFC flyweight division. He said he has continued speaking with UFC matchmakers while trying to find a way back. He also believes a promise made by Hunter Campbell hasn't been fulfilled.

 

“Hunter made me a promise. They basically wasted two years of my life.”

 

"That's how I feel right now. I don't think what they are doing is right."

 

Since his UFC departure, Mokaev has continued competing and has added titles outside the promotion while waiting for another opportunity.

 

Muhammad Mokaev Has a PFL Option in Mind

The UFC is not the only promotion on Mokaev’s radar. He told MacDonald that the PFL has offered him a multi-fight contract, although the organization does not currently have a men’s flyweight division. That could change if the PFL introduces a 125-pound weight class following its merger with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.

For now, Mokaev appears more interested in staying active than settling for a short-term opportunity that does not move his MMA career forward.

 

“I want to stay active because I’m still young.”

 

The UFC BJJ offer may have put Mokaev back under the promotion’s roof, but it wasn't the return he wanted. His priority remains finding a route back to the UFC flyweight division.