Muhammad Mokaev looks to punish Charles Johnson at UFC Fight Night in London

UFC Fight Night returns to London on Saturday, July 23 featuring a card crammed with British talent, with the bout between heavyweight contenders Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes topping the bill at the O2 Arena.

Look a bit further down the card, however, and you will find one of the most intriguing fights of the night between American newcomer Charles “InnerG” Johnson and Britain’s Muhammad “The Punisher” Mokaev in the battle of the flyweight contenders.

Johnson will be making his UFC debut, while Mokaev is coming off a masterful “club and sub” finish against Cody Durden.

Fans will look to the undefeated Mokaev — who has been unstoppable in his mixed martial arts career so far — for another virtuoso performance. However, underestimating Johnson could prove fatal for the 21-year-old’s dreams of becoming the youngest ever UFC champion.

Mokaev, “the prince” of the American Top Team stable, retains an unparalleled 23-0 amateur record and already has to his name a semifinals appearance in the 2021 U23 World Wrestling Championships.

While there was immense hype surrounding Mokaev prior to his UFC debut against Durden on March 19, his eventual 58-second finish in front of the London crowd catapulted him into the limelight as one of MMA’s most exciting prospects.

Mokaev swiftly amassed a 5-0 professional record before signing with the UFC. Durden was already a proven UFC fighter with a well-rounded skill set, and yet Mokaev made him look like a novice.

His performance sent the O2 crowd at UFC Fight Night — and the MMA community — into a frenzy, cementing himself as the premier prospect in the flyweight division.

Despite Johnson’s impressive reign as Legacy Fighting Alliance champion, Moakev does not see him as a step up