Muhammad Mokaev’s nickname is “The Punisher,” and he’s proved that he can bring it with a 10-0 pro MMA debut and a No. 12 spot in the UFC’s flyweight division.
But when Mokaev dealt his share of punishment Saturday in his third-round victory over Jafel Filho on the preliminary card of UFC 286 at a sold-out O2 Arena in London, England, it was his brutality that got everyone talking. Was. Above.
In the third round, Filho caught Mokaev in the kneebar and seemed to have locked him in the deep. The smile on Mokaev’s face said a lot. The logical move at that point would have been to tap so as not to seriously injure his left knee.
But Mokaev, who was a -900 favorite at BetMGM and one of the UFC’s elite prospects, kept fighting. He clawed his way out of Neibar, although he apparently had some damage.
Seconds later, he caught Filho in a rear naked choke and got the submission at 4:32. Mokaev has been on a roll since joining the UFC, but Saturday’s submission took that to another level, the way he was able to avoid one of the most dangerous holds in the sport.
Mokayev was limping when he got up and, even after getting the taps, he struggled to climb to the top of the cage to celebrate his victory in front of the home crowd.
However, that toughness earned him the respect of fans and most importantly, his teammates.
