British UFC fighter of Dagestani origin Muhammad Mokaev, who competes in the flyweight division, spoke about joint training with the division's champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Telecomasia.net correspondent quotes Mokaev as saying:
I was not weaker than Pantoja in sparring in any way, he said that I would go through the whole division easily. After our two sparring sessions, he didn't work with me anymore. Maybe he felt that I was a future challenger.
Recall, on October 21 in Abu Dhabi (UAE) at UFC 294 Mokaev will fight against Tim Elliott.
Mokaev, 23, had his last fight in March 2023 at UFC 286, defeating Jafel Filho by submission in the third round. He has ten wins and no losses on his record.
Elliott, 36, defeated Victor Altamirano by unanimous decision by judges at UFC on ESPN 46 in June 2023. He has 19 wins and 12 losses on his record.