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Despite Messy UFC Exit, Dana White Aided Controversial Ex-Flyweight with Medical Expense After Car Crash

Originally posted on FirstSportz | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 11:05 AM ET

Dana White and Muhammad Mokaev didn’t have the best of working relationships by any means. However, per recent reports, yet again, it didn’t hinder the UFC boss from helping the fighter when in need. For a second time, Mokaev himself confirmed as much.

It’s nothing new for Dana White to have had begun on the wrong foot with star fighters. The promotion’s most controversial fighter Jon Jones was billed as a ‘punk’ by the CEO for refusing fights/negotiation hassles. There have been many other names, too, who had a contentious running only to line up with better graces.

Mokaev was projected as a future UFC champ when he made his 2022 debut. However, he unceremoniously got the pink slip after the UFC 304 PPV post-fight presser! The UFC CEO stated it wasn’t his fight caliber, but rather his antics against Manel Kape that earned him bad publicity.

All the friction aside, it didn’t stop White from helping him when he incurred an accident in Dagestan. The now recovered flyweight fighter admitted as much on his social handle.

Same thing he did when I had car crash.
Muhammad Mokaev via X (@muhammadmokaev)

While failing to secure an extension of his fight contract, the UK-based fighter said his firing wasn’t a direct step by White. The flyweight also can’t help but give him his due for helping out. The recent admission comes in light of the fact that White has financially helped out ex-UFC and ONE FC legend Ben Askren.

Askren caught severe pneumonia due to a previous Staph infection. After weeks on a ventilator and ECMO, ‘Funky’ had undergone double lung transplants and looks set to recover completely. One long-standing criticism is that brass does not offer its fighters health insurance through the company. As a result, fighters must pay for medical expenses out of pocket when injuries occur.

Same thing he did when I had car crash https://t.co/1vYC6erdOI
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) July 13, 2025

Dana White confirmed the matter after UFC Nashville; and Mokaev reacted to the snippet going viral on X. This isn’t the first time the boss has helped out fighters, irrespective of his relation with them.

Despite a heavy chip on his shoulder due to the cut Reebok sponsorship and low PPV compensations, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson once admitted White helped him out. He also paid for and facilitated lightweight King Green’s brother’s funeral, and ponied up $1 million bail for Cain Velasquez.

Can Muhammad Mokaev make his way back to Dana White’s UFC as top prospect yet again?

No animosity or not, Mokaev and UFC boss Dana White have run into a hiccup that isn’t easy to forget. With the friction he caused while settling his beef with Kape, and antics like claiming that Amir Albazi pointed a firearm at him, Mokaev was always a viral figure. However, it was mostly for the wrong reasons.

Mokaev met up with Dana White during Power Slap 11: Da Crazy Hawaiian vs. Dumpling 2; the latter hinted during the post-fight presser that other execs, matchmaker Mick Maynard, CBO Hunter Campbell, urged him to break the decision of culling the flyweight. It’s something ‘Punisher’ himself has lamented recently and wants to correct if he can make it back here.

Hence, White told the media scrum that most of the UFC execs weren’t keen on second chances. But the now-24-year-old can still seemingly work his way back. For one thing, the Brave FC flyweight is as good now as he was back then. A 6x British champion, 2x World & 5x European champ, he has also been stacking up wins.

He punctuated a short-notice highlight over Joevincent So on the BRAVE CF 91 card, followed by a KO victory over Bolat Zamanbekov at Karate Combat. So far, he has reeled in three different wins that can work as a backdoor here.

Alexandre Pantoja is the most successful champion in the UFC right now after Islam Makhachev vacated his lightweight title. As such, he is also reigning supreme with no one seemingly close to him at 125-pounds. Mokaev is one of the few fighters left to face him. However, a way back to the UFC doesn’t seem possible at the moment.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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