He mentioned that his performance against Kape was likely a key factor in his future with the UFC. Mokaev claimed that UFC executives had told him, “they don’t want to see me keep shooting and take somebody down.”
After the event, UFC CEO Dana White responded to Mokaev’s comments, confirming that the 23-year-old would not be offered a new contract. White explained, “Yeah, that’s what we tell guys. We tell guys how to fight. We’ve been doing this for a long f*cking time. I’m sure one of the matchmakers probably said something to him or whatever. The matchmakers aren’t big fans of his for many different reasons. 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.”
White hinted that the Professional Fighters League (PFL) might be interested in signing Mokaev, stating, “He’s not under contract anymore. I think the PFL’s going to get a great undefeated guy. Good luck to him.”
White also noted that Mokaev’s issues in the UFC extended beyond his grappling-focused fighting style. This included past incidents with Kape, such as a brawl at the UFC Performance Institute and another altercation at the host hotel during fight week in Manchester. The second incident escalated after Mokaev admitted to tricking Kape into taking a photo together, only to sucker-punch him, leading to their teams having to separate them.
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