On Saturday night at UFC 286, Jake Hadley gave the performance of his career, defeating Malcolm Gordon without needing the judges’ scorecards at O2 Arena in London. After the fight, Hadley used his time in the spotlight to call out Muhammad Mokaev.
Within the first minute of the fight, ‘White Kong’ delivered a vicious blow to his opponent’s body, causing him to curl up on the floor in pain. After a series of strikes on the ground, the referee stopped the fight after only 61 seconds.
In a move reminiscent of Conor McGregor’s ‘billionaire strut,’ Hadley celebrated his victory by strutting around the Octagon. This celebration was also used by Ian Garry during the UFC’s previous pay-per-view event.
Finishing Gordon so early in the fight was a source of great satisfaction for the former Cage Warriors champion, particularly since Muhammad took three rounds to defeat the same opponent at UFC 280 in October 2022.
During his interview with Daniel Cormier after the fight, Hadley made a statement. “I just treated him like breakfast. Muhammad went three rounds with him.”
Jake Hadley calls out Muhammad Mokaev
Prior to UFC 286, there was a confrontation between the 26-year-old Hadley and Muhammad at the fighter hotel. Now, following his recent victory, Hadley is eager to have a real fight with him.
Hadley added: “Mokaev doesn’t want to see me. He’s starting fights in the hotel like an idiot because he doesn’t want to fight me in the cage.”
Going backward, he’s exactly [the same level] as Malcolm Gordon. I think that he’s nothing special, but if he enters the top 12, 11, it’s possible.
“But no, I go back again, I beat him, and then they say, ‘You beat Jake Hadley. He’s like a c****head from Birmingham.’”
Last May, the MMA fighter from Birmingham made his UFC debut with an impeccable 10-0 record but suffered a decision loss to Allan Nascimento. However, he has since rebounded with two victories and now feels prepared to face Muhammad, who also holds a 10-0 record.
During his fight at the same event, Mokaev survived a frightening kneebar attempt from Jafel Filho before securing a third-round submission victory. Despite Hadley calling him out during his post-fight interview, ‘The Punisher’ was not given the opportunity to respond.
