‘Not title fight ready’: Pros react to Muhammad Mokaev grinding out win over Alex Perez at UFC Vegas 87

Muhammad Mokaev passed the toughest test of his career, but his marks might not be high enough to earn him a shot at UFC gold.

Ahead of his fight with Alex Perez at UFC Vegas 87 on Saturday, Mokaev suggested that an “impressive” performance at the UFC APEX could vault him towards a title fight with flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301. Though Mokaev’s wrestling carried him to a decision victory and kept his perfect pro record intact, the outcome was not without its detractors as Perez presented a stiff challenge for all three rounds.

Terrance McKinney tweeted one of the most blunt responses to Mokaev’s win, simply stating that the 23-year-old is “not title fight ready.” Unsurprisingly, flyweight contender Brandon Royval appeared to agree.

“Raw Dawg” has also made his case for a fight with Pantoja—a man who has beaten Royval twice, including just three months ago at UFC 296—and he laughed at Mokaev’s UFC Vegas 87 outing, reminding everyone that he’s ready for UFC 301 if the matchmakers need a challenger for Pantoja in Brazil.

See how the pros reacted to Mokaev’s close decision win over Perez below.