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UFC fighter Muhammad Mokaev is a truly inspirational individual. From humble beginnings as a Russian refugee in England to winning the English freestyle wrestling title and eventually getting signed by the world's largest MMA promotion, Mokev's is a true rags-to-riches tale.
In a recent tweet, the English fighter expressed his gratitude to UFC president Dana White for giving him the opportunity to turn his life around. In the tweet, the 22-year-old posted photos of himself before and after achieving MMA stardom.
The fighter wrote:
"It was all dream … @ufc. Selfie at the refugee centre in Liverpool and second photo from outside of O2 arena in London! From £5 a day @ukhomeoffice refugee benefits to 50k from @danawhite."
He added:
"Alhadmulillah for everything."
The fighter's MMA career has been no less than spectacular so far. After blazing through the amateur ranks, racking up an impressive undefeated record of 23 wins, the Dagestani-born English fighter transitioned to professional MMA under the Brave FC banner
Mokaev finally made his promotional debut earlier this year at Fight Night 204, where he delivered a stellar 58-second submission against Cody Durden with a guillotine choke.
'The Punisher' then continued his impressive run, clinching two more wins this year. The 22-year-old holds a pro record of nine wins and one no contest.
When UFC fighter Muhammad Mokaev stated that he might not be fighting for long
Although Muhammad Mokaev only recently signed with the premier MMA promotion, he is already looking forward to walking away from the sport once he achieves the goal he has set for himself.
During media day at UFC London earlier this year, the flyweight told ESPN MMA that he will hang up his gloves once he achieves his goal of becoming a champion. The 22-year-old stated that he wanted to spend more time with his family and learn more about his religion:
"I just believe that there is [a] better life than sports like family [and] religion... I've been in this sport for a long time, since [I was] 15 years old. I've just been in camps, gym, I don't see [my] family much. So I want to get my goal, become [the] youngest UFC champion, and just enjoy time with my family... and learn more about religion... I think time flies very fast and I have to think about next life."
Watch Mokaev talk about leaving MMA below:
