Getty

Muhammad Mokaev

A former UFC star fighter has been forced to withdraw from next week’s MVP MMA card on Netflix due to visa issues.

Veteran MMA reporter Nolan King broke the news on X that Muhammad Mokaev is out of his fight against Adriano Moraes, which was set to take place on the MVP MMA card on Netflix. In Mokaev’s spot, top flyweight prospect Phumi Nkuta will be stepping in on short notice.

Sources confirmed to Heavy.com the swap for next weekend’s bout, which is set to take place on Saturday, May 16, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. This is Netflix’s first MMA event, and is headlined by a five-round women’s featherweight bout between UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey and women’s MMA legend Gina Carano.

“Muhammad Mokaev is out of #RouseyCarano due to visa issues Phumi Nkuta will now face Adriano Moraes next Saturday at Intuit Dome in LA,” King wrote on X.

Mokaev is One of the World’s Top Flyweights

Mokaev being out of this fight with Moraes is extremely disappointing, as it was a bout pitting two of the best flyweights in the world who are not in the UFC against each other.

Of course, Mokaev previously fought in the UFC. Just 25 years old, Mokaev has a perfect 16-0, 1 NC record in MMA, and he was 7-0 in the UFC with notable wins over Manel Kape, Alex Perez, and Tim Elliott before the promotion released him. His release was not due to his performance, but rather due to disagreements with UFC president Dana White and the matchmakers, who said that Mokaev was difficult to work with. Whether that’s the case or not, Mokaev is no doubt one of the best flyweights in the world.

He has been stumping on social media for a while now about a UFC comeback, but so far, that has not materialized. Mokaev was likely hoping a win over Moraes would have springboarded him back into the UFC’s good graces, but he is out of the fight now and won’t get a chance to show his skills on this Netflix MVP MMA card that is sure to draw plenty of eyeballs next Saturday night.

Adriano Moraes vs. Phumi Nkuta is a Great Replacement Fight

While it is no doubt disappointing to see Mokaev out of the fight with Moraes, the replacement bout featuring Nkuta is about as good a short-notice fight that MVP MMA could have made.

Moraes is the former ONE Championship flyweight champion, having defeated UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson to cement his position as one of the top flyweights not signed to the UFC. Though Moraes is now 38 years old and has lost three of his last four bouts, he is still a very solid flyweight fighter and would have been a very intriguing matchup for Mokaev.

As for Nkuta, he is one of the top prospects at 125 lbs on the regional scene. Just 30 years old, he has a perfect 11-0 record in MMA. There were rumors he was going to be on the next season of Dana White’s Contender Series, and while that’s still a possibility, for now, he will fight Moraes on the Netflix MVP MMA card. If he has an impressive victory, the UFC matchmakers may reach out and bring him into the Octagon directly without having to go through DWCS.