Muhammad Mokaev has blamed the UFC after his highly anticipated grappling match with Raul Rosas Jr. was called off.
Last week, Mokaev and Rosas Jr. excited fans by revealing they had agreed to face off in a catchweight submission wrestling bout at ADXC 6 in Abu Dhabi on October 25.
Unfortunately, it was revealed on Monday their clash has been canceled.
The event organizers released a statement that didn’t clarify the reason Mokaev vs Rosas Jr. had been scrapped, but the English 125lb fighter let everyone know exactly what has happened behind the scenes.
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Muhammad Mokaev claims the UFC blocked grappling match
ADXC said in a statement: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Muhammad Mokaev vs Raul Rosas Jr. has been canceled as the #ADXC6 Main Event!
“The show must go ON. Stay tuned for a new Grappling Main Event to be announced soon!”
Mokaev explained the situation further to his social media followers.
He tweeted: “I have a lot of respect towards Raul Rosas Jr.
“Unfortunately, UFC didn’t let him to compete I wish you all the best bro!”
Rosas Jr. has commented on his apparent withdrawal from the event.
It’s currently unclear if Mokaev will remain on the card against a different opponent or if the promotion will put together an entirely different main event on very short notice.
One thing is certain, this whole ordeal will have done nothing to repair Mokaev’s strained relationship with the UFC bosses.
Why was Muhammad Mokaev cut from the UFC?
Mokaev is undoubtedly one of the best flyweights on the planet and he’s never lost a fight, so it seemed strange when White didn’t offer him a new deal when his latest contract expired in Jule.
Many people believed it could have something to do with his ‘boring’ fighting style, which often sees him dominate opponents by utilizing his superior grappling skills.
The UFC boss insisted fighting style has nothing to do with it and claimed that Mokaev was cut for his behavior behind the scenes.
“Yeah, the matchmakers aren’t big fans of his for many different reasons, and not just because [of his fighting style] there’s a lot of people who shoot takedowns in this in this business,” White said about Mokaev after UFC 304.
“There are a lot of guys that fight with that type of style, but it’s a lot more than just that.”
The 24-year-old begged to be re-signed by the UFC and Mokaev even offered to fight for free, but White stood firm on his position during a later media scrum.
He said: “I wasn’t involved in any of the stuff that happened with him.
“The matchmakers and Hunter [Campbell] were, and they weren’t happy with him. They weren’t happy with the way he acted. They weren’t happy with a lot of the things he did and said.
“I guess you can look back now and regret it, but you did it. You did it, and you put yourself in this position.”
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