A UFC fighter who was controversially released by Dana White has spoken out after being added back to the roster by mistake.
Muhammad Mokaev was surprisingly let go by the UFC after beating top contender Manel Kape at UFC 304 last year.
He won seven fights inside the famed Octagon before being axed by White, who made the ruthless decision during the event's post-fight press conference.
Mokaev, who was ranked in the UFC flyweight division at the time of his release, has won three fights in a row since leaving the MMA leaders, including two big wins under the Brave CF banner.
Advert
He's coming off a stoppage victory over Gerard Burns at Brave CF 100 earlier this month.
Mokaev has made his feelings clear on a return to the UFC as he sets his sights on champion Alexandre Pantoja.
And it appears he got his wish as he returned to the UFC roster.
But the unbeaten 25-year-old was swiftly deleted, according to X account UFC Roster Watch.
The UFC roster activity didn't go unnoticed as Mokaev shared his thoughts on being added then removed again.
"Removed from what," he wrote, accompanied with a rolling on the floor laughing emoji.
The Dagestan born-British star seems to be on UFC's radar for a second spell as UFC CBO Hunter Campbell and UFC matchmaker Mike Maynard reached out to him before his fight against Burns.
"They wished me luck before the fight. It motivated me like crazy. I was happy all day," he told Ariel Helwani.
"I was so motivated. I was going to the event in the morning, I had a different mood. I'm thinking maybe that's the day to prove to the world and show the world. And then they just congratulated me after the fight. I'm just happy even to just stay in touch with them, that's better than nothing."
Asked about a potential showdown against UFC flyweight king Pantoja, Mokaev replied: "If I say no, I would lie. I just want to be the best in the world. Right now, I believe I'm the best in the world. But by the results on the table, the only guy to prove that [against] is [Alexandre] Pantoja. That's the only name I'm missing on my record."
Mokaev beat the likes of Tim Elliott, Alex Perez and the aforementioned Kape during his time in the UFC.
He was on the cusp of landing a title fight before he was cut from the UFC.
Topics: Dana White, UFC
Nasir Jabbar