Muhammad Mokaev isn’t angry—he’s disappointed. After leaving the UFC undefeated and ranked in the flyweight top 10, the 24-year-old says the promotion unfairly painted him as a villain, nearly wrecking the reputation he built through years of discipline and clean competition.

According to UFC president Dana White, matchmakers had “issues” with Mokaev, suggesting he’d done “bad shit” behind the scenes. But Mokaev flatly denies that narrative.

“You get upset if you do something wrong,” Mokaev told MMA Fighting. “But when you don’t—and they make it look like you did—that’s what got me upset. If I was really a bad guy, they wouldn’t have kept me for seven fights. You kick bad guys out right away.”

Despite the public fallout, Mokaev landed on his feet quickly. Brave Combat Federation (BRAVE CF) snapped him up almost immediately, praising his professionalism and hunger to compete. He also revealed that other major promotions—including PFL—had shown interest, though visa issues prevented one potential signing.

Still, Mokaev hasn’t forgotten what the UFC did for him.

“I didn’t have a house before. I was renting. Now I have everything,” he admitted. “The UFC changed my life, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Ironically, the controversy may have boosted his visibility even more.

“Anyone who didn’t know me before knows me now. I’m 7-0, got cut for the first time in history, and it made me even bigger,” he said.

For now, Mokaev is focused on the next chapter of his career—and he’s not ruling out a return to the UFC someday. But if he does come back, he wants the world to remember one thing: he was never the bad guy.