It might not be long until the UFC matchmakers grant undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev a second chance with the promotion.
Muhammad Mokaev was on the cusp of a UFC flyweight title shot after 13 wins to begin his professional MMA career. But after a tense relationship with UFC CEO Dana White and the matchmakers throughout his promotional tenure, the UFC opted to part ways with the talented flyweight before making it to a title fight.
Since his UFC departure, Mokaev has earned three dominant wins in MMA, including a vicious head-kick knockout of Gerard Burns at Brave CF 100 to win the promotion’s inaugural flyweight title in November. As of this writing, Mokaev hasn’t been booked for his next Brave CF flyweight title matchup so far in 2026.
Fight fans continue to implore White, Hunter Campbell and Sean Shelby to grant Mokaev a second chance in the UFC, potentially against newly-crowned titleholder Joshua Van. In the meantime, Mokaev has taken a big step forward towards potentially returning to the Octagon soon.
Muhammad Mokaev takes significant step towards potential UFC reunion
In a recent post to X, Mokaev announced his combat sports return under a familiar banner.
“I have been offered to compete against Mikey Musumeci for the UFC BJJ belt,” Mokaev announced.
Mikey Musumeci is considered by many as one of the greatest submission grapplers on the planet. After a long tenure in ONE, Musumeci became the face of UFC BJJ, an upstart grappling promotion under the Zuffa LLC banner.
Mokaev is 0-2 in submission grappling, dropping matchups with former UFC flyweight Rogerio Bontorin and Zain Hayat. But Mokaev is considered one of the best wrestlers in modern MMA, as evidenced by wins over Manel Kape, Alex Perez, and Tim Elliott.
While it remains to be seen whether or not the UFC and Mokaev will reunite, the flyweight’s upcoming UFC BJJ matchup could go a long way towards dictating his MMA future.
Do you think the UFC will grant Muhammad Mokaev a second chance? Let us know in the comments!