UFC 294: Muhammad Mokaev ready to show 2.0 version on return to octagon

Muhammad Mokaev said he always targeted UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi for his return to the octagon as the fast-rising flyweight aims to take another step closer to a title shot when he fights Tim Elliott on Saturday.

Mokaev, 23, recently recovered from a knee injury, sustained in his victory against Jafel Filho in March, and the Dagestan-born British fighter is out to extend the perfect start to his UFC career to five wins at Etihad Arena.

UFC 294 represents arguably his toughest challenge so far – 10th-ranked Elliott sits one place above Mokaev in the flyweight standings – although the Manchester fighter is considered the firm favourite.

Mokaev can expect the majority of the support in Abu Dhabi and can bank on his experience from fighting in the capital last year, when he defeated Malcolm Gordon by submission at UFC 280.

“I have an amazing fan base in Abu Dhabi,” Mokaev said. “Even when I fought on the prelims last year, the packed arena made it feel like a main event.

"I am very excited to be back and fighting again – I am as excited now as when I made my debut. When I got injured in March, I knew there would be UFC in Abu Dhabi and straight away I told the UFC, ‘Book me for this’. They told me I might not be recovered in time, but I said, ‘I will be recovered to fight there’.”

Signed to KHK MMA – the mixed martial arts team created by Bahrain's Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa – and having begun his professional career with the Bahrain-based Brave Combat Federation, Mokaev returned to the Gulf nation last month to acclimatise for UFC 294.

“We came out here [to Bahrain] on September 7 because the climate is a big difference to the UK," Mokaev said. "A lot of fighters make the mistake of coming out too late, but I