Mohammed Mokaev's dream was to become the youngest champion in UFC history, but as he approaches his 24th birthday, he may have to wake up from that dream.
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UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has long held the record, having won gold at the age of 23 years and eight months when he defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in 2011.
Flyweight contender Mokaev had hoped to get his first title fight by that age, but given injuries and the time it took for him to win six straight bouts inside the Octagon, it was already too late for the young upstart to overtake Jones.
“It's hard to say what my goal is now because I once said I wanted to be the youngest UFC champion, but it didn't work out,” Mokaev said. Title Sports Network (h/t: Home of the Battle“I don't want to announce anything. If it's announced, that's fine, because I believe I could have been the youngest UFC champion. Jon Jones became the youngest UFC champion at 23 years old… and I'm only 23.”
The deadline may have passed, but Mokaev's goal of the flyweight title remains the same, with a shot at a title shot coming up on July 27 at UFC 304, just days before his 24th birthday. A win would put Mokaev in line for another title bout against Alexandre Pantoja, a bout Mokaev would have liked to have taken place sooner.
Mokaev, ranked sixth in the world, was seen by many as the next title challenger after beating Alex Perez in March, but lower-ranked Steve Erceg unexpectedly faced Pantoja at UFC 301 in May, putting Mokaev back in contention for the title.
“I think I'm the most active of the younger generation, next to Jon Jones. [got the opportunity to become youngest champion]”It's just that … UFC just didn't want me,” Mokaev added.
“Jon Jones is a star. He's an American star. They want to keep him there, 100 percent,” Mokaev said when asked if that was the reason he didn't get a title shot.
It's worth noting that if Mohamed Mokaev had won the title against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301, he would have fallen 35 days short of Jon Jones' record. However, even if Mokaev had won the UFC title at just 23 years old, it would have been an impressive feat.
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