Muhammad Mokaev extended his undefeated streak at UFC 304 in Manchester. but his future with the promotion was thrown into doubt when UFC CEO Dana White announced he would not be re-signed. This surprising decision came despite Mokaev’s perfect record. Fed up with the situation, Mokaev had recently teased a potential move to Brave FC on social media,  writing, “New gloves but same goal.” While this initially seemed like a possible destination, recent updates suggested a different path for the young fighter.

In a recent X post, Mokaev thanked all the fighting organizations, including Brave FC, that offered him contracts after his departure from the UFC. He wrote, “Thank you to all organizations that reached out to me. Brave CF, Rizin, PFL, Karate Combat, ACA. I appreciate for believing in me, now I will sit down with my team and take the best option not money-wise but that could let me go back to the UFC ASAP.” However, given White’s firm stance on the matter, returning to the UFC might not be as straightforward as Mokaev hopes.

During the press conference announcing Muhammad Mokaev’s release from the UFC, Dana White revealed behind-the-scenes issues that led to the decision. White also elaborated on an incident outside the UFC Performance Institute, witnessed by Jean Silva. He dismissed speculation that Mokev’s fighting style influenced the decision.

This decision by Dana White has been criticized by numerous MMA analysts and fellow fighters, including former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Sterling recently criticized Dana White’s claims, arguing that they were not sufficient grounds for releasing a fighter from the promotion.

Aljamain Sterling criticizes UFC for releasing Muhammad Mokaev

UFC featherweight contender Aljamain Sterling, who recently rebounded from a previous loss by defeating Calvin Katter at UFC 300 in April, is now set to face Movsar Evloev in a featherweight title eliminator fight at UFC 307 in October. Sterling criticized UFC CEO Dana White for ignoring a potential fight against Mehrab Dvalishvili. He has since renewed his attacks on White, this time championing Muhammad Mokaev.

Aljamain Sterling recently expressed his disapproval of Muhammad Mokaev’s UFC release on The MMA Hour, stating, “If you ask me, I think it’s f*cked up. I don’t think there was any real reason to cut him. You can say the piggybacking of the fight at the P.I., but that takes two to tango.”  Sterling also referenced the infamous ‘sucker punch” incident between Manel Kape and Muhammad Mokaev in a hotel lobby.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Mokaev and his team are actively seeking a return to the UFC. It will be intriguing to see how they convince Dana White to allow Mokaev back into the promotion. There have been no new developments from the UFC or Dana White so far. This situation is certainly worth watching. Stay tuned for further updates.