Mokaev hopeful of White U-turn after UFC release

Briton Muhammad Mokaev says is he is still hopeful he will be re-signed by the UFC after his contract expired following his win at UFC 304 on Saturday.

Mokaev, 24, beat Manel Kape on points in Manchester to extend his unbeaten record to 13 wins.

The flyweight is considered one of the brightest prospect in mixed martial arts, but UFC president Dana White announced the organisation would not be giving Mokaev a new deal.

“I hope Dana re-signs me, this is my dream to become champion,” Mokaev said on X.

“I turn [other MMA promotions] all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family.”

Dagestan-born Mokaev also denied he had held talks with rival MMA promotion PFL prior to his last UFC bout.

The UFC has already removed Mokaev from its flyweight rankings.

There was a tumultuous build-up to his last bout, with Mokaev admitting to confronting Kape at the fight-week hotel.

Perez, 30, said Mokaev sparked the hotel melee after asking him to take a picture.

Security also had to step in separate the fighters in the octagon before the bout began.

Mokaev said afterwards his behaviour in fight week was in reaction to a previous incident between him and Perez.

“I understand, this is wrong what happened at the hotel and I apologise to the UFC, but there’s some nights I didn’t sleep because someone treated me like that,” he said.

“I will never let anyone bully me and I never bullied anyone, but whatever happened it happened, I don’t want keep going about it but I will take big lesson from it.”

Mokaev has four finishes from seven victories in the UFC.