Muhammad Mokaev has expressed willingness to sign a long-term contract with the MVP and PFL organisation on the condition that a 56.7 kg division is introduced. The statement signals a potential departure from the UFC for the flyweight contender.
Muhammad Mokaev has signaled he could be open to leaving the UFC, with reports emerging that the unbeaten flyweight contender would consider signing a long-term deal with MVP and the PFL — but only if the organization were to introduce a 56.7-kilogram division.
Mokaev, 26, enters this conversation as one of the most compelling undefeated fighters in the sport. The Manchester-based Dagestani-born Englishman carries a perfect 13-0-0 record and competes out of KHK MMA. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, he stands five-foot-seven with a 70-inch reach. His wrestling-heavy style has made him a handful for anyone at flyweight, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes — a figure that places him among the most active grapplers in the division. He also lands 1.61 significant strikes per minute and posts a 45 percent striking accuracy rate, showing he is far from one-dimensional.
The condition attached to any potential move is significant. Mokaev's interest is expressly tied to the creation of a 125-pound-equivalent division — 56.7 kilograms — within the PFL structure. Without that, the reported willingness to engage appears to go no further.
Why it matters
- Mokaev's 13-0 record makes him one of the UFC flyweight division's most valuable unsigned commodities if he were to depart
- His demand for a dedicated 56.7 kg division would require PFL to expand its weight class offerings, a structural decision with broader implications
- A move of this kind, if it materialized, would represent a notable shift in the ongoing competition between the UFC and rival promotions for elite talent
- At just 26, Mokaev is entering what figures to be his peak years, raising the stakes of any long-term contractual decision
It should be noted that this remains an unconfirmed report. No deal has been agreed, and the introduction of a new PFL weight class has not been announced. The statement reflects Mokaev's publicly expressed conditions rather than any concluded negotiation.
