Less than a week before his highly anticipated BRAVE CF 91 return against Luthando Biko on December 13, Muhammad Mokaev found himself caught up in a fiery social media dispute with Gerard Burns, a rival in the flyweight division. The war of words erupted after a video resurfaced from Burns’ October fight, where he called out “The Punisher” mid-fight.

Upon seeing the video, Mokaev fired back, stating, “that’s why he declined (to fight me) on December 13.” His comment quickly caught the attention of Burns, who didn’t hold back in his response. “Glen McVeigh (last-minute replacement who fought Mokaev in their pro debut) is the last person I would ask for advice. He went 3 rounds with you and he was eating McDonald’s 3 times a day and with zero training. It says it all (laughs). See you soon!” Burns wrote.

The heated exchange didn’t end there. Mokaev then challenged Burns, offering a potential fight with his brother Mohammed Idrisov in January, despite the fact that the two fighters are not scheduled to face off immediately. “No more talk. If you want to fight, here’s my brother Mohammed Idrisov ready to fight you in January,” Mokaev wrote. “I think this is more than enough time for you to prepare. (BRAVE CF President) Mohammed Shahid, make it happen and I will be at the event!”

Idrisov also chimed in, affirming his readiness for the fight. This challenge has added more fuel to an already heated rivalry in the flyweight division, with fans eagerly anticipating the next moves from both fighters.

BRAVE CF 91 is set to take place at Khalifa Sports City in Bahrain on December 13, with Mokaev headlining against Luthando Biko. The event will also feature a thrilling Bantamweight title fight between Nkosi Ndebele and Nicholas Hwende, with Hamza Kooheji taking on Alperen Karabulut in the co-main event.