WATCH: Muhammad Mokaev SUBMITS Malcolm Gordon by armbar at UFC 280
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Muhammad Mokaev (L) submits Malcolm Gordon via armbar at UFC 280
After months of anticipation and exasperation, UFC 280 is finally here. And the first big fight on the prelims has finished. Taking on Malcolm Gordon on the prelims of the UFC 280 main card, Muhammad Mokaev impressed his way to a submission victory just a while ago.
And, one could see the Abu Dhabi crowds pop to the young Briton’s victory – although he is a British national, he was born in Russia, and if we have learned anything about UFC events in Abu Dhabi, fighters originating from that part of the world enjoy the biggest support. For context, cue the fans shouting Islam Makhachev’s name at the weigh-ins.
Mokaev looked pretty much in control of the fight – although he didn’t dominate from start to finish, it won’t be hard to imagine the judges giving him a 10-9 for each of the two rounds. In the third round, Muhammad Mokaev did look a bit troubled, as Gordon suplexed him, but that didn’t affect the outcome of the bout.
Mokaev’s crowning moment came in the last minute of the third round – he caught onto Malcolm Gordon’s arm, and finished the fight with just 34 seconds left. He used an armbar to catch Gordon out, and from there, the American tapping was inevitable.
Muhammad Mokaev calls out Brandon Royval after his win
Muhammad Mokaev is currently unranked in the flyweight division. Although he has impressive wins to his boot, and moments where he has enthralled the crowds, it still feels like too early for him to start entering the top five and eventually get a crack at the title, whoever may hold the belt.
After his fight, in the octagon interview with Daniel Cormier, Mokaev chose to call out No. 5 flyweight Brandon Royval. The Briton’s win might have been impressive, but it seems like he needs to fight better talent to start climbing up the ladder to face someone like Royval.
However, if he does build up to the hype he has generated for himself, he might start to become somewhat of a PPV attraction for the company. And, he has the words to back it up.
In a recent interview, he spoke to Mirror Fighting about attempting to break Jon Jones’ record of becoming the youngest fighter to ever win a UFC championship. He is just 22 at the moment, but with championship dreams, and the right discipline, it will be interesting to see if Mokaev can scale new heights.
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Udayan Mukherjee
(382 Articles Published)