UFC legend Matt Brown isn't in favor of anyone losing their job, but he understands why UFC decided to cut ties with Mohamed Mokaev.
There were clearly a lot of issues surrounding the decision not to sign a new contract with the 23-year-old flyweight prospect, but Mokaev made matters worse by getting into a brawl with Manel Kape at the host hotel before the fight. After winning a unanimous decision at UFC 304, Mokaev publicly admitted that he had surprised Kape, punched him and attacked him for no reason after he asked him to take a photo with him.
After the incident, UFC CEO Dana White made it clear that Mokaev would not return to the organization, but it seems there was a lot of frustration behind the firing. Brown hadn't been following Mokaev's every move, but by the time he heard the surprise confession, he had already had enough.
“I would cut him too, to be honest with you,” Brown said in the latest episode. Fighter versus writer. “I'm surprised he would do something like that because his potential is so high. I've seen him fight before. He's a fighter with really, really high potential. He's a young guy with a lot of skill and talent. But when you're that popular, you can't keep doing stuff like that. I think the UFC has shown that before. When you're popular, you can't make too many waves. Of course there are some, but you can't do stupid stuff like that.
“If you have people in their seats, Jon Jones can get away with it a little bit. He's in business with UFC. They're essentially partners. But how many people are going to turn on the TV to watch Mohammed Mokaev fight? How many people are going to turn on the TV to watch Mohammed Mokaev fight when he fights in the PFL? So there's a double standard, or a triple standard, or whatever. Different fighters have different standards. He's not at a level where he can get away with doing that kind of crap. I don't know the history, but [sucker-punch] That sounds like a cowardly thing to do, and I wouldn't want to do business with someone like that.”
Brown, of course, can't speak specifically to Mokaev's situation without knowing the details, but he knows from his own personal experience what it's like dealing with the UFC, including matchmakers like Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard.
Brown built a relationship with the company over his 16-year career with UFC, allowing him a certain freedom that other athletes likely wouldn't have had. In Mokaev's case, he's 23 years old and only seven fights into his UFC career, but some behind-the-scenes friction has likely already put him at odds with matchmakers and White since UFC 304.
Brown knows that whatever actions led UFC to decide it wasn't worth re-signing Mokaev must have been so egregious that the risks outweighed the potential benefits.
“What they know is, if he gets bigger and wins a title, they can't count on you,” Brown said. “You're a risk. UFC knows that when an up-and-coming fighter wins a belt and starts making money and gets stronger, it gets even bigger.”
“All the bad stuff you started doing when you were just starting out is only going to get bigger and worse for them, so naturally, why would they want to do business with someone like that?”
Unfortunately, it seems Mokaev hasn't built up enough trust with the UFC to be able to ignore the issues that exist.
That's not the case with superstars like Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, who have faced plenty of controversy outside the cage (including multiple arrests) but, unlike a young prospect like Mokaev, have proven their worth in the UFC.
“It's literally like any other business,” Brown explained. “If you provide value, they'll give you more. That's what it's all about. If you provide enough value, they'll give you more. Some people know that and take advantage of it. Some people remember where they come from and all that gooey stuff.”
“It seems like he wasn't interested in or didn't want to build a relationship. It's kind of unfortunate for him, but I think he got what he deserved. I don't know the whole story, I don't understand everything, but from what I do know, I think he got what he deserved. Especially in this case, you trick someone and then you hit them. You get your picture taken, you let them be nice, and then you trick them and then you hit them. It's really dirty. If that's the whole story, I have no sympathy for it at all. Although he obviously acknowledged it.”
While things look bad for Mokaev right now, Brown promises there may be a silver lining to this whole situation.
Mokaev is still young, so leaving the UFC is a chance for him to grow, get better, mature and perhaps be good enough to be invited back in a few years.
“UFC is tough on new fighters, but they're also very forgiving,” Brown said. “I've seen so many fighters do terrible things, get fired, get in trouble, get reprimanded, and then come back and act like nothing happened.”
“We have seen it many times. They are tolerant. For Mohammed Mokaev, it is not the end of the world.”
