Tom Aspinall reacts to UFC parting ways with Muhammad Mokaev: "It's a bit unfair on him"

Tom Aspinall does not believe that Muhammad Mokaev should be a free agent. As an acquaintance of the flyweight for over a decade, Aspinall believes that the undefeated contender was not dealt a fair hand.

In an interview with Carl Froch, Aspinall spoke about his relationship with Mokaev and his thoughts on the UFC's decision not to re-sign him. The interim heavyweight champion said:

"I think it's unfair, to be honest with you... This has happened before, all his beef [with Manel Kape] in the hotel and at the weigh-ins and all the rest of it. It's not the first time so I think it's a bit unfair on him just to kick him out indefinitely. At the end of the day, I'm not the boss of the UFC."

Aspinall admitted that he also thought Mokaev's last fight with Manel Kape was "boring" while revealing that he heard that both fighters attempted to bother one another while the other was sleeping during fight week.

Mokaev won the fight by unanimous decision but landed just 30 significant strikes through 15 minutes to Kape's 20. In his post-fight interview, Mokaev claimed that the UFC told him his wrestling-based style would get him a new contract, a notion Dana White firmly denied.

View the full interview with Tom Aspinall from Froch on Fighting on YouTube below:

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Tom Aspinall's relationship with Muhammad Mokaev

Muhammad Mokaev was born in Dagestan, Russia but moved to the United Kingdom as a young boy with his father. Mokaev primarily trains with the KHK MMA team but also does a lot of work with British-based teams in the country where he still primarily resides.

Upon his initial move to England, Mokaev met and trained with Tom Aspinall. The two have known each other ever since despite being several weight classes apart.

Though they are not teammates, Aspinall and Mokaev continue to support each other in their championship aspirations.