BRAVE Combat Federation’s Muhammad Mokaev is arguably one of the biggest up-and-coming international MMA stars today. The 20-year-old has been standing out from the pack since his amateur days and now, as an undefeated professional Mixed Martial Artist, he’s been drawing more and more attention.
But that doesn’t mean that it was all rainbows and unicorns for the MMA prodigy, as he made clear in an exclusive unseen footage from his Road To Greatness interview, a mini documentary produced by BRAVE Films.
The level of abdication in order to thrive in the highly competitive Mixed Martial Arts world left some marks in Mokaev’s life, including his relationship with his father, who preferred he had followed an academic career instead of one in sports.
Especially after Mokaev’s decision of dropping out of college to pursue a career in MMA, which led to his father’s disapproval, this particular dynamic became pivotal in his personality.
“Honestly, I knew back then that if I had a job, a regular job, I could make more money — at least at that point,” Mokaev said. “But I wanted to do something that I loved, something that I was passionate about. Training for me is not like work, it is something that I enjoy and also I get better, I make history.”
And that’s the plot twist in Mokaev’s history. Up to this point, one might be thinking that the relationship of the young MMA star with his father was an obstacle to his success, when, actually, it was the fuel that kept the fire burning.
“And I wanted to make history for my dad,” he continued. “I wanted to show him that I was capable, that I could be one of the greats. And I knew that I couldn’t do so through education but I know that I am more than able to do it in sports, in Mixed Martial Arts, I will make my dad proud.”
Muhammad Mokaev’s next challenge will take place on June 4th, in Minsk, Belarus. “The Punisher”, as he’s also known as, will take on Ibragim Navruzov in a featured catchweight bout, looking to remain undefeated in his career and expand his professional record to 5-0, in addition to a percent 23-0 amateur record, with two IMMAF World Championships gold medals.
