- Muhammad Mokaev won ACBJJ 22 No-Gi gold, beating Moris Boleyan by unanimous decision after a nine-minute match.
- The viral clip shows Mokaev driving repeated headbutts into Boleyan’s chest — legal under ACBJJ’s ruleset, which permits headbutts, kicks, elbows and knees.
- Mokaev locked in an arm triangle late; Boleyan refused to tap, but the choke was tight enough that the win was awarded as time expired.
- The 26-year-old then called out Dana White, insisting he has done exactly what the UFC asked since his 2024 exit.
Muhammad Mokaev headbutts opponent repeatedly, wins a Jiu-Jitsu title, then uses the post-match mic to campaign for a UFC return. That is the whole story from ACBJJ 22, and every part of it actually happened.
The unbeaten flyweight, competing out of Cage AK MMA UK, beat Armenia’s Moris Boleyan by unanimous decision in the No-Gi grand title bout at 132 lbs, closing a nine-minute match with a tight arm triangle.
Boleyan — an 8-1 MMA prospect whose eight wins all came by submission — never tapped, but the choke was locked tight enough that Mokaev was declared the winner as time expired, sparking chants of “heat” as he was crowned champion.
Muhammad Mokaev Headbutts Opponent — Why Was It Legal?
The short answer: the rules allowed it. Unlike most sport Jiu-Jitsu, ACBJJ permits a far wider range of attacks. Its rulebook allows strikes with the hands and legs — including stomping kicks — as well as elbows, knees and headbutts, both standing and on the ground, alongside unrestricted submissions and chokes.
So the headbutts Mokaev threw were not a foul or a loss of composure; they were legal offense in a combat-grappling format that sits somewhere between No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu and a fight. As he took top control and began driving his head into Boleyan’s chest, the commentary team called it plainly.
He’s headbutting him right now in the chest.
– ACBJJ 22 commentator
The match itself was genuinely competitive before that. Boleyan threatened guillotines and triangles early, while Mokaev escaped leg entanglements and shut down takedown attempts. Tensions flared midway, with the referee penalising both men — a kick for Mokaev, talking back for Boleyan.
From UFC Exit To ACBJJ Gold
Mokaev has been campaigning for a return since the UFC cut ties in July 2024. He went 7-0 inside the Octagon, beating Manel Kape, Charles Johnson and Tim Elliott, and hit free agency off a UFC 304 win rather than the title-eliminator lane most undefeated prospects expect.
The cage work was never the problem; the split came down to matchmaking and behind-the-scenes friction.
Since leaving, he has stayed busy in a way few released fighters manage. He returned to BRAVE CF — the promotion that launched his career — submitted Joevincent So at BRAVE CF 91, picked up wins in Karate Combat and 971 FC, and stopped Gerard Burns with a second-round head kick at BRAVE CF 100 to win flyweight gold.
Along the way he met Arman Tsarukyan in a grappling match and finished Jorge Calvo in 42 seconds at WOW 31. Now the ACBJJ belt sits next to the BRAVE CF title.
Mokaev Puts Dana White On Notice
The callout came after the win, in a clip posted to X. Mokaev framed the whole two-year run as a completed assignment.
Dana said two years ago, ‘Become champion somewhere else.’ I became BRAVE CF champion, ACBJJ champion, 5 fights, 4 finishes, staying busy and showing the world why I’m the best flyweight in the world.
– Muhammad Mokaev
In a fuller statement he added that he has won five fights in two years with four finishes, that he is taking over the 125 lbs division outside the UFC, and that he has no plans to slow down — “I’m still 26.”
The Case For A UFC Return Is Getting Harder To Ignore
None of it guarantees a reunion. The flyweight title picture is crowded, Alexandre Pantoja’s orbit already has plenty of traffic, and the UFC has given no public sign of a change of heart.
But Mokaev’s pitch is simple enough to land with any fan: he was told to become champion somewhere else, so he went and did it — twice, in two different sports, while staying active at 26. Whether a man willing to headbutt his opponent on the mats is someone the promotion wants back in the cage is a different question, and it is the one Dana White will have to answer.
