PERTH, Australia – Steve Erceg believes Muhammad Mokaev’s departure from the UFC is largely self-inflicted.
The UFC decided against re-signing Mokaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) following the completion of his contract at UFC 304 in July. Despite Mokaev maintaining his unbeaten record with a victory over top contender Manel Kape. The promotion chose not to retain him.
UFC CEO Dana White attributed the decision to dissatisfaction among matchmakers, with speculation suggesting that Mokaev’s behavior rather than his fighting performance was the issue. Erceg (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) shared his thoughts on the matter, stating:
“I don’t want to kick a man when he’s down as much as possible,” Erceg remarked during Wednesday’s UFC 305 media day. “But yeah, he made some decisions, he didn’t win over people in the company. So, I feel bad for what happened to him, but I guess he did it to himself.”
Erceg is set to make a comeback following his title loss to flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. As he faces Kai Kara-France (24-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in the co-main event at UFC 305 on Saturday.
“Kai Kara-France is a very good fighter,” Erceg noted. “He’s super explosive, has excellent takedown defense, and hits hard. I need to be cautious, but I believe I’m the better fighter. We’ll see on Sunday morning.”
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