4 promotions who should sign Muhammad Mokaev before the UFC changes their mind

In Manchester, Muhammad Mokaev did little to steal the show. The 23-year-old flyweight contender had a highly anticipated matchup against No. 8 ranked Manel Kape at UFC 304, and the build-up only added smoke to what was expected to be an electric fight. Prior to the bout, Mokaev exchanged pleasantries with Kape and asked to take a picture with him at their hotel. Once Kape's guard was down, he punched him, an action Mokaev claims was preceded by a head-butting altercation that Kape initiated before his bout against Alex Perez in Las Vegas.

The bad blood only intensified from that point on, with Mokaev throwing a water bottle at Kape during the ceremonial weigh-ins, and the two needing to be separated during their pre-fight face-off. By the time the two got into the ring, a security detail was required to ensure that the two didn't try to fight each other before the referee's signal.

All of these extracurricular pre-fight activities didn't do much to ingratiate Mokaev to the UFC, as he headed into the last fight on his contract with the promotion. But Dana White has never been one to shy away from attaching bad blood to matchups, as shown in previous feuds such as Jones and Cormier and McGregor and Nurmagomedov. If Mokaev's fight lived up to the hype generated by these pre-fight altercations, then maybe he could've earned himself another contract by the end of the night.

However, after getting buried on the prelims of a mediocre pay-per-view, Mokaev defeated Kape via unanimous decision. It was a lackluster, grappling-heavy performance, and one that failed to impress anyone in attendance. In his post-fight interview, Mokaev asked the crowd if he deserved a new contract, and their mild reaction really said it all. No one was really sure how to feel about it.

Except for White, who seemed fairly confident in his decision to let Mokaev's contract expire. He revealed his choice in the post-fight press conference, stating that the matchmakers have continually found Mokaev difficult to work with during his tenure in the UFC. White even went so far as to quip that "the PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy."

But as it turns out, even PFL wasn't willing to deal with the issues that Mokaev would've presented for them either. When speaking to the media this past Friday, PFL president Ray Sefo could not have been more clear with his stance on Mokaev. "I've spoken to people that is in the know, and apparently [Mokaev] is just a pain in the a** to deal with, and so, no, we're not interested," Sefo said at the PFL Playoffs in Nashville.

Thus, Mokaev is stuck at a crossroads, with both of the world's top combat sports promotions unwilling to deal with the headaches associated with his behavior. He's consistently maintained that his primary interest is returning to the UFC, but it seems like an uphill battle at this point.

"I said to Hunter Campbell, 'Whatever I've done, I'm ready to pay for that and fight [my] next fight in the UFC for free,'" Mokaev stated in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. "I think I took a big lesson, I want to come back to the UFC."

If his pleas fall on deaf ears, then Mokaev must find another home, hopefully with the goal of rehabilitating his image in the eyes of the UFC. So, let's take a look at which promotions could give Mokaev an opportunity to do just that.

1. ONE Championship

ONE's MMA division has essentially been dormant for a while now. They've largely abandoned many of their top mixed martial artists in order to shift towards their other combat sports, such as kickboxing, submission grappling and Muay Thai.

Anatoly Malykhin holds championships in three separate divisions, yet he hasn't defended any of his belts yet. Demetrious Johnson defeated Adriano Moraes to defend the Flyweight Championship over a year ago, and neither fighter has had a fight booked since. And although Christian Lee holds the Lightweight and Welterweight championships, he hasn't booked a fight in either division since.

However, if they do decide they want to shift their focus towards MMA, Mokaev could be the exact kind of prospect to elevate their flyweight division. At 23-years old, he's already a consensus top ten flyweight in the world, and he could earn a matchup with Demetrious Johnson at ONE's hydrated flyweight division. But Mokaev would have to be wary about ONE's onerous contracts, as fighters have experienced difficulties when attempting to leave the promotion in the past.

2. Absolute Championship Akhmat

Speaking of interesting flyweight matchups outside of the UFC, ACA has a fantastic flyweight division in its own right, and Muhammad Mokaev would fit the promotion like a glove. ACA has arguably the deepest flyweight division outside of the UFC, and if Mokaev wants to work his way back to the pinnacle of the sport, it could be the perfect setting for him to cut his teeth.

The division features Askar Askarov, the former UFC fighter who owns notable victories over former title challenger Tim Elliott, former top contender Joseph Benavidez, and current UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja. It also features long-time former champion Azamat Kerefov, who owns a victory over Kurban Gadzhiev, the current ACA flyweight champion.

Askarov, Kerefov, Gadzhiev and Imran Bukuev are all arguably top 15 flyweights in the world, and Mokaev's grappling-heavy style would clash well with all of them. He would be a fantastic stylistic addition, and ACA could be the perfect stepping stone for him. It's a match made in heaven.

3. Rizin Fighting Federation

In all honesty, it would be a little amusing if Mokaev went to Rizin. With Kai Asakura joining the UFC's flyweight division on June 9th, Mokaev going to Rizin would effectively complete a swap deal for the two promotions. ACA might have the deepest flyweight division outside of the UFC, but if it's not them, then the crown absolutely belongs to Rizin.

Rizin Flyweight Champion Kyoji Horiguchi earned his claim to fame in his initial UFC run, when he quickly earned a title shot against Demetrious Johnson before getting submitted with one second left on the clock. After that, he ended up joining Rizin, where he had a strong run at bantamweight, claiming championships in both Bellator and Rizin at this new weight class. He eventually found his way back to flyweight, and he's arguably the best 125-pound fighter outside of the UFC now.

Add in other fighters such as Makoto Takahashi, UFC vet Rogerio Bontorin, Hiromasa Ougikubo and former UFC title challenger John Dodson, and you have a plethora of interesting matchups for Mokaev to consider if he makes his way to Rizin. The Japanese promotion has serious brand recognition, and they could present Mokaev with an opportunity to build his way back to the UFC.

4. Legacy Fighting Alliance

This is probably the least likely of the promotions that mentioned in this article, but LFA is essentially the floor for Muhammad Mokaev. No matter how messy his free agency situation gets, you can bet on LFA at least throwing a feeler out there for a flyweight prospect like him.

In 2019, when Brandon Moreno was shockingly released from the UFC following consecutive losses to Sergio Pettis and Alexandre Pantoja, LFA was right there to pick him up. Moreno had one fight in LFA, won the flyweight championship, and was re-signed by the UFC just a month later.

Historically speaking, of the 11 undisputed flyweight champions Legacy Fighting Alliance has had, eight of them have signed with the UFC, including names such as top UFC contender Brandon Royval and the aforementioned Moreno. Perhaps Mokaev could do the same as Moreno, hoping that the well-established relationship between the two promotions could work in his favor.