Muhammad Mokaev Responds To UFC 286 Accusations, Vows To Never Tap In A Fight | The MMA Hour

Muhammad Mokaev discusses his UFC 286 win over Jafel Filho, the kneebar submission that nearly ended his night, the state of his knee moving forward, breaking Filho mentally, when he wants to return, his altercations with Jake Hadley, and more.
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[@mikehansen7610]

The MMA community isn't talking enough about how this guy refused to tap, absolutely insane heart.

[@smeff099]

Oh yeah, real smart. He's never going to fight again.

[@714ever8]

​@@smeff099 can't say that yet

[@bilalamra6080]

​@@smeff099 Nobody said its smart

[@mikehansen7610]

@@smeff099 People have broken their legs and fought again. Stop trying to sound smart.

[@evilkhamzat]

@@smeff099 JB would have tapped to strikes by a 3 year old 😂

[@owenodonnell3200]

"He said he heard 9 cracks, but I only heard 6 or 7" is hilarious

[@lukemurray4950]

One of the toughest SOBs in the Game! Incredible. What a warrior. But wish he tapped because we are not going to see him for ages and that sort of injury can effect your whole career.

[@TheGuyCalledX]

A loss also would've set him back a ton tbh

[@orthodoxboxing9159]

@@TheGuyCalledX Hes only 22.

[@KevinCoxner]

​@Orthodox Boxing don't matter. Unfortunately guys like this don't get enough attention

[@TheMMAKasual]

UNDEFEATED

[@NotKimiRaikkonen]

He's going to feel dumb if this injury causes his first loss... (think Tom Aspinall)

[@cristianchavez1699]

Im still cringing at the fact that this absolute monster did not tap to that damn leg lock... like truly just crazy bro. What a damn beast, got his knee tore up like that and then got up, took his opponents back and choked that man out... just insane man

[@matthewgeldart2066]

Wasn't a leg lock it was a knee bar

[@cristianchavez1699]

@@matthewgeldart2066 did you know what I meant? dumbass

[@cristianchavez1699]

@@matthewgeldart2066 a knee bar is a type of leg lock god damn genius

[@matthewgeldart2066]

@@cristianchavez1699 no it isn't🤣🤣🤣🤣 a leg lock attacks the whole leg from the ankle up, a knee bar only attacks the knee and ligaments around it. Moron

[@letmegetuhhh3959]

@@matthewgeldart2066 a knee bar is a type of leg lock lmao. That’s like saying it’s not a choke it’s a darce lol.

[@SNA19121]

I was hurting watching him not tapping to that kneebar, what an absolute warrior, very happy for him that he got the finish in the end. Wish him a speedy recovery.

[@KulDegun]

The man’s leg broke and he still never tapped. People need to give this man some respect. Toughest UFC fighter ever!!

[@andyhughes8433]

Mohammed never gives up! Wow! I hope he becomes a world champ, amazing guy.

[@govindsuresh6805]

What a badass, I like how he threw in youngest father in UFC too that was funny asf

[@kevinbond3656]

Who asked you?

[@Youssef-hd5bl]

if we think about it deeply, it's not a smart thing to do, to be honest, he's saying his heart will be hurt but that doesn't matter, hearts can heal over time but such an injury can become permanent, you're still young, if for example, you tapped, your heart will hurt, become sad and all this but as you grow you will understand that it was the right decision.

[@hiskishow]

Exactly, I think losing would be the best thing that happened to him.

[@basedmed258]

For the mindset of these russians, the heart pain would hurt more and last a lifetime. A messed up mind can be worse than a messed up body, in many cases

[@Point_n_Shoot]

@@basedmed258 I get what you mean, but he may have to live with this decision for the rest of his life as well. Hopefully not.

[@TheMMAKasual]

UNDEFEATED

[@ETAisNOW]

@@basedmed258 no that’s bullcrap movie propaganda, if you put your life into something and throw it away to momentarily stroke your ego you’re a freaking moron that’s now going to deal with both a life altering injury and the mental struggle that it comes with, that’s not a Russian thing that’s a stupid person thing

[@idkfpv6435]

Bro I was tapping for him when I saw this live💀

[@jayn6943]

So did he. There are footage of him tapping in multiple occasions. And the opponent loosening his grip only for him to act like he didn't and go back at it. No one seems to be talking about him fake tapping tho

[@idkfpv6435]

@@jayn6943 interesting I'm gonna have to watch that fight again

[@jayn6943]

@@idkfpv6435 also make sure to look for other angles on KZbin. You can even see his opponent looking at the referee to see if he's going to step in or not.

[@haroon4567]

@@jayn6943 He talked about that in this interview. Did you even watch the video?

[@jayn6943]

@@haroon4567 I did. What gave you the impression that I didn't? Because I'm not bowing down to Mactapper?

[@nitifese4528]

Great interview! I believe him, he will be champ one day. Wish him a speedy recovery, truly inspirational individual.

[@JoeDuffy69s]

My mind tells me he's ripped multiple ligaments, but my heart hopes this incredible warrior doesn't have any serious injury. He needs saving from himself.

[@illuderebeliarh1260]

well, this might be his god saving him from himself. It might be a career ending injury.

[@STiergoofball]

I think he will be out for 1 year or 2 maybe But I think he will be able to fight again But let's hope that nobody will armbar this guy cuz if he doesn't stop before it breaks then it's over for him ngl

[@dirtmike6258]

thinking the same thing acl, mcl, and perhaps other surrounding ligaments

[@Jake-pz7oi]

@@dirtmike6258 100%… he literally said he heard 6+ pops or cracks

[@talisunepjamir-ux2kn]

I always knew he was a good fighter but his toughness is unbelievable. If he keeps improving he can become the champ in the future.

[@wolf5393]

This man had Insane heart. Strong brother.

[@elnino3810]

We love you brother Mohammad... good luck

[@usamakhalid1637]

Still didn't get 50k for showing such heart in fight..Dana is insane.

[@darubaru]

Hope somebody saves these guys from such a pimp...

[@dr.loomis4221]

Fine line between heart and possible career ending stupidity

[@matejzizanovic7959]

Its because he fights by hanging on for dear life to his opponent. So far he averages 5 strikes and 0.2 sub attempt PER ROUND. FIVE. STRIKES. PER. ROUND. Dont give this man any kind of bonus please.

[@KulDegun]

He 💯 percent deserved that 50k

[@CiceroXVX]

@@matejzizanovic7959 A prelim fight that has people still talking days later about his heart, toughness, and gutsy performance (with a finish!) and you’re out here advocating a new dad shouldn’t get a bonus. I’ll admit, it’s impressive you can be that much of a hater.

[@quasarleon4645]

Thanks Mokaev for NOT tapping . I won 475 Euros on a 1 Euro bet because of You . Bet 1st rnd TKO by Leroy Duncan, 1st rnd TKO Ashmoz and 3rd rnd sub by You ma man !

[@Thomas-jj3rp]

Congrats bro 👊

[@kpcart]

Gambling is a disease lol

[@sganet_]

He did Brazilian tap

[@abs6kader]

If Muhammad heard this am guessing he would say go ask for forgiveness from God. 😅

[@AliKhan-cd7hs]

I really hope he recovers quick.. come on mokaev!!

[@RazeenRed]

A broken heart/mind hurts more then a broken joint

[@mohamedalahmadani5174]

Great interview. What a respectful beast this dude is.

[@ILoveGaza77]

Amazing fighter! God willing, he will achieve his goals of becoming the youngest Champ!

[@askarigaming5465]

that was insane that he didn't tap . he is on another level .crazy man . just different mindset

[@mmaenthusiast7605]

Muhammad has every right to believe he can be a champ in the next 12 months but that's only if his knee recovers and if he sharpens his techniques especially against killers like pantoja and Moreno. I really hope he breaks that record for his toughness. Jon Jones didn't tap to the armbar that could have broken his arm and Mokaev's toughness reminded me of that.

[@wrldw4r]

He trains with Pantoja.

[@emiroviski]

This incident was kinda blessing in disguise for him because of his fighting style many casual viewers don’t watch his fights and many even hate him for it. Now at least many of those people will either change their opinion about him or even more they tune in to watch him fight. His next fight will surely have more eyes and he should make the most out of it.

[@luisgomez-jordanamartin4776]

I find him super entertaining. I guess i just like aggressive grappling. The guy hunts for submissions like a madman. Thats why he end up giving his leg, because he never tries to keep positions or defend himself. I find him a great entertainer, i hope they give him a top 10 soon, and a title fight in two or three fights. Fly weight needs him, the division is too thin of talent.

[@kyle7233]

Great fighter obviously but that knee injury probably took years off his MMA life span. Which is a shame IMO because he's very good and I'd prefer him to be healthy and fit rather than have a spotless record because of his ego.

[@kmichaelewis]

Absolute warrior.

[@thedarkknight3393]

For everyone judging him for not tapping and saying he'll feel dumb or something. You guys aren't ones who are sharjeel the mentality of a young hungry prospect on this level. Normal people would never know

[@fuuphoo790]

I love Muhammad but I need him to recover 😭 I believe he’ll be champ so soon but he’s going so hard on himself and might get seriously hurt. Wishing him nothing but the best. He deserves it

[@BlaqueDiamond2k12]

Wishing him a complete and speedy recovery. I’m hoping he can achieve his goals. He’s a true warrior!

[@athirkhan5511]

I couldn't watch that submission and this guy got up and made the other guy tap. Crazy stuff.

[@everyoneisonsteroids2720]

He deserves the Don Frye Michael Bisping medal of honor. The real BMF!!

[@thewillow0000]

This dude is awesome.

[@jiveturkey4516]

You know, this was actually a good interview until Ariel tried to start something at the end bringing up what the Penn State wrestler said. That was sad. Mokaev handled that perfectly and is very wise for a 22 year old. Knowledge is power.

[@Beyduhmale]

Ariel been doing this alot lately.

[@JohnDoe-kx1yt]

Guy has the heart of a warrior.

[@wagonet]

this guy is insane, what a beast. i hope he does consider tapping especialy if it might be a career changing submission

[@yacobwarsame4283]

Mokaev got the heart of a champ ! InshaAllah he can recover, minor setback for a major comeback ☝🏾✊🏾!

[@alexanderdominguez666]

Mokaev is definitely on his way to becoming the youngest flyweight champ soon enough, he’s so damn good I can’t wait to see where he goes! For him to get out of that right knee bar how far it was extended was wild! LETS GO MAKEV and his spirituality is amazing 💯💪

[@Pclub4ever]

How? He's 22 years old. He's not going to fight for the next 18 months minimum and will then get into the politics of the higher ranks. At the earliest, he'll be the champ at 25. Cody Garbrandt did it at 24.

[@alexanderdominguez666]

Either way you knew what I meant yeah he’s injured but he’s on his way up the ladder g that’s all that matters

[@Pclub4ever]

@@alexanderdominguez666 Who knows if he's ever going to fight again. This kind of injury is seriously no joke. And if he does, he won't be the same. You need your knees to wrestle. I doubt that he'll become champion, he'll be too occupied with healing up instead of polishing his skill set.

[@VicioRay]

Nooo way! Not after that terrible injury

[@ABSYTP]

@@Pclub4ever Garbrandt was a bantamweight champion, Mokaev is a flyweight smartass.

[@jabzz9]

This kid is a WARRIOR. Future champ here, only a matter of time.

[@saidassas9523]

yes,but he will not win against Moreno with his shoulder and knee injury, moreno very dynamic fighter he moves and is always ready for a chaotic fight

[@Guru-ue2yp]

I love mokaev! Truthfully I did see a tap when he was inside his guard but he wasn’t tapping to a submission, he was acknowledging something whilst on tve ground

[@petergarrett3481]

Wasn't his biggest fan but fairplay to him true warrior

[@hilihkintil6789]

I got tackled playing football didnt realize my knees dislocated until i try to stand and it didn't even made sound. How bad is his knee if he hears 6-7 times crack? Hope he has speedy recovery and a long carreer and didn't destroy himself

[@ocerco93]

I was thinking the same things... too much cracks, it’s doesn’t loook good...

[@darubaru]

Great interview. Great fighter.

[@mr.wigglemunch3856]

I really hope he gonna be his old self again, this can't be it for this new super talent. Can't wait for the MRI results, inshallah it's going to be good news☝

[@frankmatthews5491]

All the ufc fans are actually moaning that he didnt tap because he might injure himself but if he tapped they would all hate on him

[@PoeticSneakerHead]

Yep...they would've said "hype train derailed" smh...You can't win with the critics 🤷🏾‍♂

[@GTari-ob6bj]

yep..they're hating either way. people are acting like they care about his health now all of a sudden lol. they want him to tap like their favourite fighters did. it's his body..people that call him dumb are not the ones that felt the pain nor the ones that will face the consequences of this injury. he didn't make the decision in the fight he made it a long time ago. just let the man be. it may be a blessing in disguise. he's still young(22 yo) if he comes back lets say 2 years from now that's good time to train and study the game more. like what happened to khabib in 2014 after he blew out his knee and hurt his back and he came back on a mission.

[@thefantom5171]

100 percent they would all laugh at him. No one would think he's smart for tapping.

[@JasonVargas1]

That knee gonna need a year minimum to be able to beat anyone remotely as good as Kai Kara-France. I fear Mokaev heart is too strong for his brain.

[@BodyJab295]

I love Mokaev. Seems like he's definitely going to be a star.

[@kenyansniper3903]

This kid has Tony Ferguson-esk toughness😮Respect 💯

[@LuisCruz-lx8td]

This the real Hardcore Champ

[@Jamie_Wilson]

I like this dude now I know more about him. But dude... I just hope that wasn't a career changing injury to his knee. I understand why he felt it was less damaging overall to not tap and get injured than to tap and have that mental change going forward. Bit at this point who knows what would have affected him and his career more, the tap or the snap

[@haldir3120]

Ariel happy at least one Muslim guy is speaking to him after a fight lol

[@OverproofMMA]

Not his fault every Muslim fighter works for the same manager

[@GrifterTheBoyIdiot]

Why? Does he have something against muslim fighters?

[@johncenafan3161]

@@GrifterTheBoyIdiot no, most islamic fighters and signed under Ali. Ali and Ariel have been beefing for years thats why no one under him comes on his platform. Also why I respect Mokaev, dude refused multiple offers from Ali to be his manager.

[@keenanz9882]

They didn't do the interview not because of religion, not only muslim fighter who didn't like ariel

[@haldir3120]

@@GrifterTheBoyIdiot He messed it up with Ali and Khabib. None of their guys are doing interviews with Ariel now. Including Gaethje, Cejudo and Belal

[@Man_Ray78]

That guy has it all to become a champion.

[@Jayr1990]

Much respect to Mohammed

[@Marwan-uv1fc]

Brother he is a real warrior never going to tap

[@cjgold1677]

really really hope you mend well mate! i actually prefer for you to rep the UK than most others! you aspina,l leon edwards, jack shore arnold allen! your all in with a shot on becoming the 3rd brittish UFC champ! best of luck man!!!

[@HassanAli-qh1en]

Future champion for sure!

[@bubsterjohnson7438]

Mokaev is funny asf lol dude had me cracking up the whole time

[@Colby_0-3_IRL_and_title_fights]

Hand this man the vacant BMF belt right now

[@mmamedia2834]

Yeah the fact this kid didn’t tap was insane!!!!

[@TheRealMMAGirly_TheOther1sFake]

I believe in him & I hope his knee will turn out to be ok so his goals can come to fruition inshallah

[@BarryMcCockiner-em5sv]

Hey girly! Still waiting on that live stream...😁😆 Inshallah!

[@TheRealMMAGirly_TheOther1sFake]

@@BarryMcCockiner-em5sv I'm still waiting on my members memberships góod faith up front deposits, & you & Patrick both know this but keep asking 😠

[@BarryMcCockiner-em5sv]

@@TheRealMMAGirly_TheOther1sFake haha just messin with ya girly. If I could make it happen I would! You ever figure out how to change your settings?

[@BarryMcCockiner-em5sv]

@@TheRealMMAGirly_TheOther1sFake I'm already a Rigo member but when guru goes live I'll look at the settings and tryn figure out how I enabled it and let you know. But it's gonna cost you an apple honey 🥪 for real this time 😄

[@BarryMcCockiner-em5sv]

Okay girly, when in chat click the lil dollar bill sign next to where you type to chat. Then click on "membership". Then click the lil 3 dots up at the top. Then click "gift settings" and toggle it on

[@jondo-vh8tx]

polite and wellspoking young man. deservs all the luck

[@cainslawyer8058]

Respect for his toughness but the guy still has a ton of work to do if he wants to fight for the belt any time soon

[@BrainFuck10]

Good to see Ariel's son on the show!

[@meruemo776]

It's easy to not tap to a choke and go to sleep. But when its a kimura. Arm bar. Or knee bar. Not tapping can put you out of fighting for 2-3 years.

[@prod.deathwish]

hes a real bmf people gonna call him dumb for not tapping but he still finished the guy with one leg

[@ozzmann3217]

Homie let his knee break I don’t think he was tapping Fihlo.. I knew the kid was special in his debut but made a life fan outta me after that fight the heart of a warrior said he will go out on his shield for real

[@waqasikhlaq7424]

Tony and Mokeav are two Tough SOB's

[@SuperSlashscape]

this is my mentality, that's why you will see me up there one day

[@azerhuseinbegovic1692]

What desire to be champion.another level

[@ybarrajoshua97]

Unreal Mindset

[@florentbty6933]

Will this decision pay in the long run? I think no. Still tremendous respect for his resilience ofc

[@TheOneSpurs]

Unbelievable.. the heart not to tap is crazy ..its not worth it .. longevity is worth it

[@gamingprotocol8871]

Longevity with lose not worth so better not to tap when having big heart

[@kieranheneghan4132]

He is a solid dude

[@TamMusician]

5:08 He explained that tap that stupid people are talking about

[@sergeymirochnik1773]

One of the best new fighters in the UFC.

[@matejzizanovic7959]

And also most boring fighters in history of MMA.

[@NiazTube]

@@matejzizanovic7959 Watch tennis

[@matejzizanovic7959]

@@NiazTube guy averages 5 strikes and 0.2 sub attempts per round. Sorry but numbers dont lie. Go watch Mokaev vs Johnson, come back here and then well see whos gonna watch tennis

[@gbc636]

Absolute beast

[@chainyrabbit]

He kinda proved in that fight that he doesn't tap 😂

[@farhanaziz438]

You are the champion bro.

[@EmreDemirkayaLoves]

I knew this guy before the UFC and was sure he would be Champ. First i admired his calmness and focus in the lock but from what i have read. I don't think he will never be the same ... Just to prove a point 🙃 and become the youngest Champion . It's over for him 😳 He damaged/tore all 4 major ligaments in his knee. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) Medial collateral ligament (MCL) Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) And have a shoulder operation soon.

[@dawudkhan7659]

you have to give him benefit of the doubt, yes it looked like a tap from our angle, but the fact that he was willing to let his knee rip makes me think it wasn't a tap

[@arafsadventures]

Future cham for sure 💪

[@TheSquaredCircle.]

Mokaev is a great fighter, future champion

[@MobaCry]

Any update about the knee??

[@the2nd152]

This man said his leg was holding on to hope.

[@DotaHelm]

Future champ...

[@gabrielhedin1697]

I hope he gets the belt record time :)

[@mohamedturki2788]

@ 3:59 is that shooting stars to the left of the screen??

[@njdrummer7120]

you know I saw that TAP during the fight and thought OMG he's tapping...But no one talked about it till now..that was really odd..

[@rolandreedii5939]

This is real #1 Gangster

[@matthewtapp7373]

Sounds like a good guy

[@mdncthetruth2556]

Dana better give him fight of the year for that

[@hypev1233]

Lmaoo the Brazilian guy is wild for making up 5 ways that Mokaev tapped 😂 come on bro , you had a sick fight against a tough gjy

[@saucegotti9416]

I bet on him getting a sub to finish the fight. Let’s just say round 3 was a rollercoaster

[@sstech5410]

People saying he tapped are crazy lol just haters. It’s funny it’s always the same people that hate these Muslim fighters. It’s the same accounts wtf why you hate so much

[@1OldPacman]

I really like him.

[@stephenwa7417]

Mokaev a beast man.. but i feel bad for his knee man, he needs to chill, Theweasle said fialho a beast

[@scotnicos5383]

Seems like a good lad tbh

[@thirstymoosegaming3078]

I seen what they’re calling a tap complete bs. There’s not even a reason to tap

[@jimmyjam6197]

No reason?

[@everythinggaming7938]

my knee hurts just watching the photo

[@DubyaDetailing]

I tore my AC joint wrestling in 2014 my shoulder still acts up and gives me pain years later

[@DubyaDetailing]

However in most instances it doesn’t really give you pain unless your arm is above your head you can get through most of your normal activities day today with a torn AC joint I never had mine properly fixed and it gives me headaches and neck pain and runs down my back here and there

[@stephenwa7417]

Jake Hadley is a tough fight for him tbh and he needs to watch out for those liver shots... all mokaev needs to do is take it to the ground

[@Grumpadelic]

I wanna see him in that Charles vs Tony armbar