Muhammad Mokaev 'feeling amazing' inside and outside the octagon ahead of UFC 280

Safe to say, for Muhammad Mokaev, life right now is rather sweet.

For one, he’s about to compete for the first time in Abu Dhabi, at UFC 280 next week, a date he earmarked with the world’s lead mixed martial arts promotion even before his most recent bout, in London, in July.

Outside the octagon, there’s a new UAE-based sponsor, with which Mokaev opened their flagship branch in the capital on Friday night. There, he cut ribbon, took part in a Q&A with fans - he prefers Wingstop's honey mustard chicken wings over the spicy - and smiled and laughed his way through a steady flow of selfies.

Yet the most important life development had already come, not long after Mokaev teased on social media that he would soon share “the biggest news in my whole life”.

The confirmation came last week. Aged 22, and with seemingly the MMA world at his feet, Mokaev had become a father.

“Youngest dad in the UFC,” the flyweight jokes to The National, a play on his long-held ambition to become the youngest champion in company history. “Feeling amazing. It feels so good.”

Mum and baby, he reports, are well too.

“Everything’s good,” Mokaev says. “And I’m so motivated for this fight … I’ve never been more motivated for a fight.”

Which bodes well for everyone at Etihad Arena a week on Saturday. Bar, you’d imagine, Malcolm Gordon.

Mokaev, a two-time IMMAF world champion unbeaten in all 31 MMA bouts - 23 amateur, eight pro - takes on the experienced Canadian early on the prelims, where he seeks to make it three wins from three since his explosive UFC bow in March.

The Abu Dhabi card is headlined by the vacant lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, while Aljamain Sterling defends his bantamweight crown against former