UFC: Muhammad Mokaev eying UFC flyweight title shot with win over Alex Perez

Halfway through this interview, Muhammad Mokaev stopped to ask his own question.

"If the UFC don't put me in, who are they going to?"

Britain's Mokaev is referring to the next challenger to take on UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

At just 23 years old, Mokaev, who faces American Alex Perez in Las Vegas on Saturday, believes the stars are aligning in the flyweight division for him to face Brazilian Pantoja.

"Even Pantoja posted on his Instagram story: 'I need to fight somebody new. I've beaten everyone,'" Mokaev told BBC Sport.

"He's beaten some like twice, or three times - [Brandon] Moreno, [Brandon] Royval - he's beaten these guys and now what's the point of rematches?

"It motivates me. It motivates me more to finish Alex Perez, to stay focussed and don't play games."

Pantoja has beaten Moreno three times and Royval twice, while a fight between fellow top contenders Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau was cancelled in January after Kape missed weight.

Amir Albazi, who is third in the UFC flyweight rankings, is recovering from injury, while Royval, who beat Moreno on Saturday, has revealed he likely injured his medial collateral ligament (MCL) during that fight so could face time on the sidelines.

All these factors have opened the door for a potential title opportunity for Mokaev, who is eighth in the flyweight rankings and unbeaten during his 12-fight career, should he beat 31-year-old Perez at the UFC Apex on Saturday.

And according to Mokaev, the champion is open to the idea.

"I messaged Pantoja yesterday. I said after this fight, I'm ready to fight," said Mokaev.

"I messaged him because I used to train with him, I know him well. He said, 'We will talk after this fight'."

READ MORE