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Ex-UFC star Muhammad Mokaev wins BRAVE CF title, names himself MMA's best flyweight

"The Punisher" is 3-0 in MMA since his unexpected exit from the UFC.
Drew Beaupre|
Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

Muhammad Mokaev added to his case for being considered the best flyweight fighter in MMA with a title-winning performance at BRAVE CF 100.

Poised for a flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja after taking a unanimous decision over Manel Kape at UFC 304, Mokaev unexpectedly exited the promotion during the immediate aftermath of the event.

The 25-year-old wasted little time before he returned to BRAVE CF for his first post-UFC MMA fight and won via first-round submission. At BRAVE CF 100, he added another victory to his undefeated record and claimed the promotion’s inaugural flyweight title when he stopped Gerard Bruns in the second round.

Muhammad Mokaev Finishes Gerard Burns At BRAVE CF 100

Burns was making his fifth appearance for BRAVE after an impressive 4-0 start to his time with the promotion, which brought his overall win streak to six fights after suffering his first professional loss at Fight Club Rush 12 in 2022.

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The title fight with Mokaev was arguably already the most-talked about fight leading up to BRAVE CF 100, and the bout also got a bit of added attention after the card’s third championship offering between Mohammed Fakhreddine and Alex Lohore was scrapped on weigh-in day.

Mokaev started the fight strong before he landed an inadvertent low blow that caused a lengthy pause in the proceedings. The 25-year-old got right back to battering Burns with kicks once things resumed, and he punctuated the first round with a massive slam during the final minute.

A left hand in the early seconds of the second round floored Burns before Mokaev dove in to follow-up with ground strikes, and once the referee stepped in to end things “The Punisher” reeled away to celebrate winning his first professional MMA title.

BRAVE CF Double-Champ Bid Next For "The Punisher"?

Entering the BRAVE CF 100 co-main event as a massive pre-fight favorite, Mokaev had a bit of fun during fight week when he referenced the ongoing betting scandal that arose in the aftermath of last weekend’s UFC Vegas 110 card.

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Mokaev was quick to thank Bahrain and KHK Fight Team during his post-fight interview and also confidently declare himself the best flyweight in the world. The 25-year-old also indicated he’d be open to pursuing a double-champ bid in the promotion’s bantamweight division, which seems to be a real possibility now after Borislav Nikolić stopped Mokaev's teammate Hamza Kooheji in the BRAVE CF 100 main event.

“The Punisher” has remained active since his UFC exit, collecting three MMA wins to go along with a split decision loss in a grappling bout with Rogerio Bontorin at ADXC 6 and stoppage-win over Bolat Zamanbekov at Karate Combat 54. A second title with BRAVE CF would certainly help build Mokaev’s case for a UFC return, and ahead of the event the 25-year-old told MMA Knockout that he intends to remain as active as possible at this stage of his career.

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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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