Muhammad “The Punisher” Mokaev is stepping into the BRAVE CF cage once again — this time for a moment he has long envisioned. The Dagestani-born English fighter will battle Gerard “The Animal” Burns for the inaugural Flyweight World Championship on November 7 at Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town, Bahrain.

For the 25-year-old, it’s more than a title shot. It’s the chance to complete a story that started five years ago with the very promotion that gave him his first real stage.

A homecoming years in the making

When Mokaev joined BRAVE CF in 2020, he arrived with the promise of a prodigy. The former amateur standout was viewed as the future of the division, and he delivered on that potential with four wins in five fights — two of them by submission.

That early success put him on the global radar, leading to a North American run that kept his unbeaten record alive. But after a series of changes and setbacks outside his control, the fighter who once left Bahrain as a rising star now returns as a man chasing destiny.

“BRAVE CF gave me my first platform,” Mokaev said. “They believed in me when I was just a kid with dreams. Coming back now means everything.”

The final chapter of his journey

BRAVE CF’s flyweight division has long awaited its first official champion, and Mokaev knows that the November 7 bout could cement his legacy. Facing him will be the relentless Irish contender Gerard Burns, whose aggressive style poses a serious challenge.

“This is my full-circle moment,” Mokaev said. “Every fight, every test — it all led here. Burns is tough, but I’m ready to show the world what I’ve become.”

Victory would make him the division’s first-ever champion and mark the completion of the journey he began inside the BRAVE CF cage — not just as a fighter, but as a man who came home to finish what he started.