I was a refugee living on £5 a day before taking up MMA and becoming a UFC star – now I want a title shot

Muhammad Mokaev’s story from refugee to UFC star is truly inspirational.

Mokaev was born in Dagestan, Russia before relocating to Britain with his father at the age of 12 shortly after the death of his mother.

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Mokaev saw MMA as a way to give back to his fatherCredit: @MUHAMMADMOKAEV – instgram

The 23-year-old lived in a refugee camp in Liverpool on £5 a day before finding a new home in Wigan and beginning the arduous journey of assimilating without speaking English.

“I came to the UK as a refugee in 2012,” Mokaev told talkSPORT’s Drivetime show.

“Going to school I didn’t know any English. Still don’t know proper English [laughs]. I didn’t know the culture and didn’t know the British jokes.

“All this situation with refugee status and the Home Office, it made me strong. It made me have a bulletproof mind. All the challenges I went through I’m really thankful for, it made me who I am today.”

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Mokaev subsequently took up wrestling before transitioning to MMA, but his pursuit of sporting greatness was born out of a desire to feed his family rather than a true love for competition.  

He added: “You just want to change your life, change your family’s life.

“I enjoyed it, but at the same time, I wanted to put something on the table in my house. I want to earn money and help my father – he helped me a little bit to grow and now I have to be his sponsor.

“I have to look after him. Parents are number one in my culture. I had to do something. I didn’t want to be on the refugee £5 a day benefit. I wanted to be something different.

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‘The Punisher’ made quite an impression in his UFC debutCredit: getty

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Mokaev is one more win away from a title shotCredit: Getty

“In this country, you can achieve so much things. The gate is open for you, you can be great. So, I can tell my kids that I achieved something.”

Mokaev achieved everything possible as an amateur, winning all 23 of his fights before turning pro, picking up six more victories and being snapped up by the UFC in 2022.

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Two years later, ‘The Punisher’ is on the brink of earning a flyweight title shot after winning six more fights and beating some of the best 125lb fighters on the roster.

Mokaev was recently overlooked as the UFC ordered flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja to defend his belt against Steve Erceg, who is ranked below the Englishman.

He revealed: “Right now, I have the longest active wins streak in the UFC flyweight division. I think I’m doing not bad for the age of 23, the title is coming soon so I just have to be patient.  

“Erceg has only three fights in the UFC. I have more finishes in the UFC than he has fights in the UFC. I don’t know why they did this.

“What me and my team decided is I’m fighting everyone in this division. They can delay but they cannot deny my destiny.”

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