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Muhammad Mokaev Responds to "Dirty" Fighter Jab from Manel Kape before UFC Tampa

The two men fought at UFC 304 in what was Mokaev's final UFC fight.
Drew Beaupre|
(Ben Roberts/Getty Images

Muhammad Mokaev didn’t take kindly to the comments his former opponent Manel Kape made about him ahead of UFC Tampa.

Mokaev Responds to Kape's UFC Tampa Comments

Undefeated in his professional and amateur mixed martial arts careers, Mokaev debuted with the UFC in 2022 and collected seven wins before he defeated Kape via unanimous decision in what many fans thought could be a flyweight title eliminator at UFC 304.

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UFC CEO Dana White made headlines immediately following the event when he revealed that the promotion would not be renewing Mokaev’s contract, and ahead of his fight at UFC Tampa this weekend Kape went off on “The Punisher” when asked about his former opponent’s UFC exit.

Muhammad Mokaev Responds to "Dirty" Fighter Jab from Manel Kape before UFC Tampa
Muhammad Mokaev fights Manel Kape during UFC 304. | (REUTERS/John Sibley)

“He played dirty," Kape said simply. "So he f***ed up, right? So, why not? It’s fair. It’s fair. Of course, play clean, lose, tap, or get your knee again destroyed. We’d love to see it, because he didn’t tap that time…If you are tough like you say, you have a heart of lion, so tap, or let your knee break.”

Kape’s claim that his undefeated opponent only escaped a kneebar attempt at UFC 304 by committing fouls certainly didn’t go unnoticed, and while Mokaev did once again acknowledge his role in being cut from the UFC he wasn’t about to let “Starboy” throw around accusations about how their fight played out.

I didn’t take long after Mokaev’s exit from the UFC for him to rejoin Bahrain-based BRAVE CF, and the 24-year-old is set to make his first appearance for the promotion since 2021 when he faces Joevincent So this Friday at BRAVE CF 91.

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Kape also returns to action this weekend for the first time since Mokaev ended his four-fight winning streak when he competes at UFC Tampa, where the Portuguese striker will attempt to move back towards flyweight title contention when he meets #12-ranked contender Bruno Silva.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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