Sean O’Malley recently weighed in on the UFC’s decision to release Muhammad Mokaev following his fight with Manel Kape at UFC 304.
Mokaev managed to secure a unanimous decision victory over Kape last month in a bout that was fraught with trouble from the start. The tension between the two flyweights began at the hotel, where they engaged in a heated altercation. “The Punisher” later confessed to instigating the clash by sucker-punching Kape. Their animosity continued to flare up, with the pair nearly coming to blows at several media events during the fight week.
After defeating Kape, Mokaev revealed that his UFC contract had come to an end and expressed optimism for a renewal. However, during the UFC 304 post-event presser, UFC CEO Dana White announced that the undefeated Russian would not be offered a new deal and would instead be released from the promotion.
White clarified that it wasn’t Mokaev’s performance or fighting style that led to the decision but rather a series of off-the-Octagon issues that made the matchmakers hesitant to extend another contract offer.
Mokaev admitted that his behavior was met with disapproval and issued a public apology to the UFC through a series of posts on X. Despite his contrition, White and the organization held firm in their decision, and he has now been removed from the official flyweight rankings.
“Sugar” speculates that a major reason behind Mokaev’s removal from the UFC might have been his seemingly lackluster performance against Kape…
O’Malley Finds Mokaev’s Release ‘A Bit Surprising’
During a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow, O’Malley and his coach, Tim Welch, discussed Mokaev’s removal from the UFC roster. The reigning UFC bantamweight champion admitted that he found it a bit shocking that a young, undefeated prospect was released.
However, he speculated that Mokaev’s antics and underwhelming performance in the cage might have played a significant role in the decision.
“It is surprising, though, because he’s 25 [years old], and he’s one of the few fighters I can name off the top of my head,” O’Malley said. “He’s 7-0 in the UFC, so it is a little bit surprising. But yeah, also, if you’re going to go in there and make the UFC’s life hell for fight week, and then go in there with only four punches thrown in the first round—they were separating them in the Octagon before the fight even started. Then the bell rings, and three punches were thrown in the first round.”
Mokaev recently claimed that he has already made amends for his past mistakes and even offered to fight for free if the UFC gives him another shot at redemption.
However, “The Punisher” soon hinted that he was already in discussions with another promotion about joining their ranks. Recently, he dropped another clue, suggesting that he has officially signed on, posting an image on X of a new pair of MMA gloves with the caption: “New gloves, same goal.”
