Muhammad Mokaev kept his perfect run going at UFC 304 – but it wasn’t without some controversy.
The 23-year-old stretched his professional MMA record to 12-0 with a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) win over Manel Kape at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester on Saturday night.
Mokaev and Kape have been beefing throughout UFC 304 fight week.
An ugly brawl broke out between their perspective teams on Wednesday and Dana White’s promotion wasn’t taking any chances of their scrap starting early.
Security swarmed the Octagon to stop the two men getting close, but when the bout got going neither of them wanted to throw first.
Fans grew impatient as the first frame progressed and loud boos echoed around the arena before the flyweight burst into life at the end of round one.
Kape landed a big shot that prompted Mokaev to shoot in for a Hail Mary takedown attempt, but he didn’t get it and their grudge match went into the second stanza
Referee Mike Beltran brought the action to a temporary halt in round two.
It wasn’t clear what the issue was at first but replays showed Mokaev had literally pulled his opponent’s pants down and exposed his backside during a wrestling exchange.
The young star got away with a warning from the veteran Octagon official, but former two-weight champion Daniel Cormier thought he should’ve faced a proper punishment.
“Oh my god,” he said while working as a commentator at UFC 304
“That’s a point, that’s a point. The referee needs to take a point.”
Mokaev dominated the third round on the floor and ultimately cruised to a points victory to stretch his winning streak – amateur and professional – to 36 in a row.
The 125lb contender used his post-fight interview to squash his beef with Kape, demand a title shot and celebrate his heritage as a Russian-born Englishman.
“Hey 23 years old, 7-0 in UFC, please give a clap to Manel Kape,” Mokaev said.
“I’m still young, I’m fighting these old veterans. Manchester thank you for support and welcoming me in 2012 as a refugee into this country.
“I really respect what this country did for me and my small town Wigan and Dagestan.
“I want a title shot. Hey guys do I deserve a new contract, hey Manchester! I need more!”
News Summary:
- ‘Oh my god!’ – Daniel Cormier demands point deduction for X-rated foul at UFC 304
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