UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev claims the UFC didn’t want him to break Jon Jones’ record of being the youngest UFC champion.
Mokaev signed with the UFC at the end of 2021 as he was just 21 at the time. He had made it clear he wanted to become the youngest UFC champion in history and started out his UFC tenure with a 58-second win over Cody Durden. He then picked up two more wins in 2022 to end the year 3-0 and in contention at flyweight.
However, Mokaev’s goal of becoming the youngest UFC champ is over as he’s set to turn 24 in just two weeks time, which is older than Jon Jones’ record of 23 years old and nine months. Although Mokaev is right near the flyweight title, he has yet to receive a title shot and he says that is because the UFC didn’t want him breaking Jones’ record.
“It’s hard for me to say my goals now because once I said I want to become (the) youngest UFC champion and it didn’t work out. I don’t want something to announce, if it comes, it comes. I believe I could have been (the) youngest UFC champion. Jon Jones become (the) youngest UFC champion when he was 23 years old and nine months. I’m still 23. I think I’m the most active after Jon Jones from the young generation. I think I could have got it, but just maybe UFC didn’t want me. I think Jon Jones is a star, American star. I think they want to keep him there, one hundred percent,” Mokaev said to Title Sports Network.
It’s an interesting take from Mokaev, who believes it was the UFC who decided to not give him the flyweight title shot and a chance of breaking the record, which he felt like he would have done. Muhammad Mokaev could have also gotten a title shot earlier this year against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in Brazil after his win over Alex Perez, but the promotion opted to give it to Steve Erceg.
Muhammad Mokaev is 12-0 and one NC as a pro and is set to return to the Octagon next weekend at UFC 304 against Manel Kape. The winner of that fight will likely get the next title shot.
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