Muhammad Mokaev nationality: Is the UFC flyweight from Dagestan?

Muhammad Mokaev has burst onto the UFC flyweight scene recently and proudly represents England. However, Mokaev was born in Buynaksk in Dagestan. According to the 2010 census, Buynaksk is home to a little over 60,000 citizens.

At 12 years old, Mokaev "sneaked into" the United Kingdom with his father after the UFC flyweight's mother passed away. 'The Punisher' currently resides in Salford and flies the English flag when stepping into the octagon. He trains in Manchester.

The 23-year-old is currently 4-0 in the UFC and undefeated in his eleven-fight long professional MMA career. Since joining the organization, the flyweight has managed to get the better of Cody Durden, Charles Johnson, Malcolm Gordon and Jafel Filho.

Watch Muhammad Mokaev speak his UFC journey here:

Despite only fighting four times in the UFC, 'The Punisher' has big plans. The Dagestan-born fighter is aiming to become the youngest UFC champion in the organization's history. Currently, Jon Jones holds that record as he won the light-heavyweight strap when he was only 23.

While speaking to the press after his UFC 280 victory back in 2022, Muhammad Mokaev stated that he believes he could fight for an interim title by the end of 2023:

"The 29th or the 30th of March, that’s how I worked it out. I have plans. I work out every day and count the days. I believe I will fight for the interim belt [by] the end of next year."

Watch Mokaev speak about his plans here:

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When did Muhammad Mokaev start fighting professionally?

Muhammad Mokaev made his professional MMA debut against Glenn McVeigh at Brave CF 37 - Brave Combat Federation 37 in 2020. Mokaev put on a brilliant display in Stockholm, Sweden and earned a fight of the night bonus after the contest.

McVeigh aggressively built-up the fight at Brave CF 37, calling Mokaev a 'bum' and stated that he would smash the Manchester-based fighter. However, 'The Punisher' won via unanimous decision and was dominant throughout the bout.

Mokaev fought a further six-times as a professional before joining the UFC in 2022. Cody Durden welcomed Mokaev to the organization and lost via submission in the first round.

Mokaev's dream to fight for the UFC title by the end of 2023 is not coming into reality. He is set to take on former title challenger Tim Elliott at UFC 294 on October 21, 2023. However, given the massive potential he has, it is safe to assume that Muhammad Mokaev will fight for the UFC title at some point in future.