If you didn’t know the name Muhammad Mokaev before now, trust me when I tell you that you’re going to want to remember it going forward because the debuting flyweight just might be the best prospect in the UFC at the moment.
The 21-year-old newcomer was born in Dagestan and moved to England with his father when he was young, ultimately settling in Wigan. He took up wrestling, excelled, and eventually transitioned into mixed martial arts, going 23-0 as an amateur and maintaining his unbeaten record through his first seven professional appearances, logging six wins and one no contest verdict.
Expectations are sky high for Mokaev, who takes on Cody Durden on Saturday, but the promising youngster has welcomed the pressure and the challenge of living up to those lofty goals every step along the way.
After dispatching Irishman Blaine O’Driscoll last time out at Brave CF 54 in September, this weekend’s bout with Durden will be a quality opportunity to see where Mokaev fits in the flyweight division right out of the gate.
Related: UFC Signs Undefeated Flyweight Prospect Muhammad Mokaev
The American fought Chris Gutierrez to a stalemate in his short notice debut up a division and bounced back from a loss to Jimmy Flick with a hard-earned win over Aoriqileng last time out. Durden is 12-3-1 overall and 8-1-1 over his last 10, which makes him the most experienced and successful fighter Mokaev has faced to date.
This is one of those instances where containing the excitement folks feel about a prospect is going to be challenging, especially if Mokaev wins in dominant fashion. He’s the latest to be put on that “Beat Jon Jones’ Record” watch and someone observers have been waiting to see reach this level since he made the transition to the professional ranks midway through 2020.
Everything so far suggests that Mokaev is the real deal; now it’s time to see if he can prove that while playing in the big leagues.