Manel Kape has made a statement on why he might deserve the first shot at new flyweight champion Joshua Van, as he closes out the UFC on ESPN era with a finish of Brandon Royval in the UFC Vegas 112 main event.
The pair felt each other out during the opening frame, trading low kicks and short strikes. Kape worked over Royval’s battle during the round to bring him toward the fence, and that was the opening Kape was looking for.
Kape landed a right hand that cracked Royval, slumping him against the fence with his strikes. Some follow-up ground-and-pound brought the fight to a quick end, giving Kape the first-round finish.
Manel Kape Blasts Through Brandon Royval At UFC Vegas 112
Kape might have just jumped Taira for a title shot. Nobody does that to Royval
Good stopped. Royval’s eyes rolled back. Manel Kape closes the UFC-ESPN era with a first-round finish to make his claim for a flyweight title shot. 125 is as hot as ever. #UFCVegas112
Flyweight is a division filled with talent, and two prominent names in that division have been chosen to try and close the UFC’s 2025 calendar year with a bang in the main event of UFC Vegas 112.
Former title challenger Brandon Royval and former RIZIN bantamweight champion Manel Kape will face off at the event, which takes place on December 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was first reported by Marcel Dorff.
The final UFC fight of 2025 takes place on December 13th. Brandon Royval takes on Manel Kape in the main event of #UFCVegas112 in Las Vegas, Nevada. pic.twitter.com/5SKzcU6WRx
As of September 1, Royval and Kape are both ranked in the top 10 at flyweight at No. 3 and No. 7, respectively. And with Royval having already fallen to champion Alexandre Pantoja — and Pantoja’s expected next title defense against Joshua Van at the end of 2025 or start of 2026 — a win by Kape here could elevate him into the next in line for the Pantoja-Van winner.
Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape To Headline UFC Vegas 112 On December 13
Royval, the former LFA flyweight champion, will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Van at UFC 317 in June. Royval has won five of his last eight — with his losses in that span coming to both Van and Pantoja.
Kape has won two straight and six of his last seven. He’ll come into this bout off a TKO of Asu Almabayev at UFC Vegas 103 in March.
UFC Vegas 112, which takes place one week after UFC 323, will also mark the final UFC broadcast on ESPN in the U.S. before numbered cards and Fight Night events move to Paramount at the start of 2026.
The much-anticipated UFC 317 lineup has undergone a notable shake-up.
The UFC’s next pay-per-view event, scheduled for June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, will mark the closing highlight of this year’s International Fight Week.
On Monday, news emerged that Manel Kape had withdrawn from his scheduled bout against former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval at UFC 317 for reasons unknown. Stepping up on less than three weeks’ notice, surging prospect Joshua Van has accepted the challenge to square off against Royval.
Royval took to social media to announce the updated matchup, revealing that Kape had suffered an injury. He also lauded Van for answering the call on such short notice.
“Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in,” Royval said on Instagram. “I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape’s injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what’s in front of me. I’ve got a gangster that’s ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me.”
Royval is riding a two-fight winning streak after falling short in his title challenge against reigning 125-pound champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296 in December 2023. The 32-year-old Colorado native last competed in October, securing a gritty split decision victory over Tatsuro Taira.
Van last seen in action this past Saturday at UFC 316, where he secured a last-minute finish over Bruno Silva. “The Fearless” enters UFC 317 on the back of a four-fight winning streak, which includes dominant decision victories over Rei Tsuruya and Cody Durden.
The 23-year-old Burmese-American also took to X to officially confirm the bout against Royval.
UFC 317 will be headlined by a championship double-header. The main event features former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria facing former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira in a battle for the vacant lightweight crown at 155 pounds. Meanwhile, the co-main event will see flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defend his title against Kai Kara-France.
Here are the confirmed bouts for the UFC 317 card:
Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira; vacant lightweight championship
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France: flyweight championship
Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov; middleweight bout
Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano; lightweight bout
Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van; flyweight bout
Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues; middleweight bout
Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez; women’s flyweight bout
Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber; lightweight bout
The lineup for UFC International Fight Week 2025 is starting to take shape.
On Thursday, a report from Laerte Viana stated that Brandon Royval and Manel Kape have been rebooked for a high-stakes flyweight bout at UFC 317, set to take place on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
🚨🚨 BREAKING NEWS! Manel Kape e Brandon Royval se enfrentam no UFC 317, dia 28 de junho, em Las Vegas. Segundo informações apuradas, Kape renovou seu contrato e será o peso mosca mais bem pago do UFC. Quem vence? pic.twitter.com/SoEAGLx8uP
Meanwhile, Kape remained on the card and earned a debated third-round TKO victory over short-notice replacement Asu Almabayev. The win added to the momentum he built with his dominant third-round knockout of Bruno Silva in December.
“Starboy” was on a four-fight win streak, including finishes over Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Ode’ Osbourne. However, his surge came to a halt at UFC 304 in July 2024, where he fell short against Muhammad Mokaev via unanimous decision.
“Raw Dawg” had previously challenged reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja for the 125-pound title at UFC 296 in December 2023. However, his bid for gold ended in disappointment as he suffered a one-sided unanimous decision defeat.
As of now, no other fights have been officially confirmed for UFC 317. However, rumors suggest that a middleweight clash between former title challenger Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov, as well as a lightweight showdown featuring veteran Michael Johnson and rising prospect Daniel Zellhuber, are in the works.
However, in the aftermath of the fight, controversy swirled as broadcast replays revealed “Starboy” scraping Almabayev’s eye not once but twice — first in the second round, then again in the third. Despite the apparent foul, referee Mike Beltran didn’t catch the infraction in real time, allowing the action to continue.
Days after the bout, “Zulfikar” took to social media and shared a shocking image of his reddened, swollen eye, alleging it was the result of the uncalled foul. However, the outspoken Portuguese striker refuses to take the blame.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Manel Kape dismissed the criticism, insisting that Almabayev’s eye was already compromised from the very first punch he landed — not from what he describes as an accidental strike.
“Against Asu, his eye became like that, it was the first punch,” Kape said. “It was the first punch that hit him. If you guys watch the fight very carefully and watch the first round, when I got the punch, immediately his eye was already destroyed.”
Aside from the eye poke controversy, Kape dominated the fight, effortlessly shutting down Almabayev’s takedown attempts. “Starboy” also voiced his frustration, stating that some fans are fixating on the foul in an attempt to discredit his victory, but he refuses to let it shake him.
“It was not an eye poke that made the fight, that finished the fight,” Manel Kape said. “I was beating him. People go and find excuses because it was me. People want to find an excuse. There’s a type of fighters that get a lot of hate. This is a special fighters, the champions, they always talk about them and they want to criticize them. I know I’m one of the people that get a lot of hate but when you’re winning, when you become a champion, they want to be on your side.”
With his victory over “Zulfikar,” Kape has improved his UFC record to 6-3, boasting four knockout wins along the way. His last setback came at UFC 304 this past July, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev.
Former UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev was quick to appear on social media with some stern words for this weekend’s main event winner, Manel Kape.
Having done little to impress with his performance and apparently not made friends with the matchmakers, Dana White and the UFC chose not to renew “The Punisher’s” contract.
His absence from the flyweight pecking order has provide an opportunity for Kape to quickly erase the memory of his 2024 defeat, and he’s done just that with back-to-back wins.
“There’s only one best flyweight in the world (wink),” Mokaev wrote on X.
And Mokaev followed that up with a sterner post after evidently coming across a clip of Kape trash-talking him.
Dirty fighter Popped on steroids Eye poked and didn’t even stopped , when I eyed poked you I stoped and let you recover!
I apologised for whatever happened between us and I thought it ended but you still talking shit about me in every interview! 🎭 because live in your head ,… pic.twitter.com/VAIuJiRgcm
“Dirty fighter Popped on steroids Eye poked and didn’t even stopped , when I eyed poked you I stoped and let you recover! I apologised for whatever happened between us and I thought it ended but you still talking sh*t about me in every interview! because live in your head , I beat you not even in my prime and pull your pants down in front the whole world! And you will be my son for rest of life!”
For now, Mokaev is competing under the Brave CF banner as he looks to work his way back to the UFC this year.
Kape, meanwhile, is widely thought to have placed himself in line to challenge the winner of Alexandre Pantoja’s expected title defense against Kai Kara-France at UFC 316 in Newark this June.
UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape believes he knows how to get revenge on champion Alexandre Pantoja and secure the throne at 125 pounds.
Kape staked his claim for a first championship opportunity on MMA’s biggest stage this weekend at UFC Vegas 103, which he headlined opposite replacement opponent Asu Almabayev.
A convincing knockout victory marked back-to-back wins for Kape and has left many calling for him to challenge Pantoja next time out.
The pair have history inside the Octagon, with the current champ having welcomed the ex-Rizin titleholder to the UFC back in 2021. Pantoja emerged victorious via the scorecards.
Kape has since been pursuing a rematch en route to the title, and during a face-to-face interview alongside the Brazilian on Saturday’s ESPN UFC Post Show, “Starboy” outlined his confidence in succeeding against Pantoja second time around.
“There is many things I can exploit in Pantoja’s game,” Kape said. “I see that Pantoja walks forward too much, you know? And brother, I’m a sniper. So prepare for that. That hand is heavy. There is 14 knockouts here in MMA. It’s not every weight that has that much knockouts as me — flyweight, welterweight, bantamweight. I have 14 knockouts, so be ready.”
😅 Love this. Manel Kape actually breaking down Alexandre Pantoja’s flaws instead of giving the usual ‘He’s going to find out’ response.
For now, Pantoja will likely have his attention on another former adversary in Kai Kara-France. He’s expected to defend the flyweight title against “Don’t Blink” at UFC 316 in Newark this coming June.
UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!
In the main event, flyweights Manel Kape and Asu Almabayev clashed. While in the co-main event, Cody Brundage faced Julian Marquez in a middleweight matchup.
UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card
Flyweight: Manel Kape def. Asu Almabayev via TKO: R3, 2.44
Middleweight: Cody Brundage def. Julian Marquez via TKO: R1, 4.45
Headlining will be former Rizin champion and current #6-ranked UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape. After having his hopes to defeat a top-five name dashed after Brandon Royval’s withdrawal, “Starboy” will now need to defend his place against replacement opponent Asu Almabayev.
Elsewhere, Cody Brundage, Nasrat Haqparast, Hyder Amil, Danny Barlow, Ricardo Ramos and Charles Johnson will be in action.
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev Weigh-In Results
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev takes place on Saturday, March 1, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the results below.
Main Card:
Flyweight: Manel Kape (126lbs) vs. Asu Almabayev (126lbs)
Middleweight: Cody Brundage (186lbs) vs. Julian Marquez (186lbs)
Lightweight: Nasrat Haqparast (156lbs) vs. Esteban Ribovics (156lbs)
Featherweight: Hyder Amil (146lbs) vs. William Gomis (146lbs)
Welterweight: Danny Barlow (170.5lbs) vs. Sam Patterson (170.5lbs)
Preliminary Card:
Heavyweight: Austen Lane (249.5lbs) vs. Mário Pinto (246.5lbs)
Featherweight: Ricardo Ramos (146lbs) vs. Chepe Mariscal (146lbs)
Catchweight (140lbs): Douglas Silva de Andrade (140lbs) vs. John Castañeda (140lbs)**
Women’s Flyweight: Andrea Lee (126lbs) vs. JJ Aldrich (126lbs)
Featherweight: Danny Silva (145.5lbs) vs. Lucas Almeida (148lbs)***
Women’s Flyweight: Montana De La Rosa vs. Luana Carolina*
Flyweight: Charles Johnson (125lbs) vs. Ramazan Temirov (125.5lbs)
*The flyweight bout between Montana De La Rosa and Luana Carolina was canceled due to weight management issues for the latter
**The catchweight bout between Douglas Silva de Andrade and John Castañeda was canceled due to medical issues for the former
***Lucas Almeida missed the featherweight limit by two pounds, forfeits 20 percent of his purse
UFC Vegas 103 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.
The upcoming event takes place Saturday, March 1, at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT.
And also making the walk on Saturday will be the likes of Cody Brundage, Nasrat Haqparast, Hyder Amil, Danny Barlow, Ricardo Ramos and Charles Johnson.
UFC Vegas 103: Kape vs. Almabayev Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Vegas 103 (as of 2/24), courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Manel Kape (-245) vs. Asu Almabayev (+200)
Cody Brundage (+136) vs. Julian Marquez (-162)
Nasrat Haqparast (+210) vs. Esteban Ribovics (-258)
Austen Lane (+295) vs. Mário Pinto (-375)
Hyder Amil (+185) vs. William Gomis (-225)
Preliminary Card:
Danny Barlow (-310) vs. Sam Patterson (+250)
Ricardo Ramos (+330) vs. Chepe Mariscal (-425)
Douglas Silva de Andrade (+195) vs. John Castañeda (-238)
Andrea Lee (+164) vs. JJ Aldrich (-198)
Danny Silva (-185) vs. Lucas Almeida (+154)
Montana De La Rosa (+110) vs. Luana Carolina (-130)
According to a recent report from Sportilinet, Kape is now set to battle Asu Almabayev on March 1. The update was also confirmed by MMA journalist Marcel Dorff on X.
Almabayev had been lined up to face Allan Nascimento on the same card but stepped up on short notice for the main event opportunity. Meanwhile, it remains uncertain whether Nascimento will stay on the lineup.
Obviously that means the Almabayev vs. Nascimento fight for the same card is off. No idea if Nascimento remains on the card atm. pic.twitter.com/nQdsOWF7PN
“Starboy” is fresh off a third-round knockout win over Bruno Silva at UFC Tampa this past December. His momentum, however, was briefly derailed last July at UFC 304 when Muhammad Mokaev snapped his four-fight winning streak. Kape currently boasts a 6-3 record in the UFC, with five of those victories coming by way of knockout.
On the other hand, “Zulfikar” last entered the Octagon at a Fight Night event in October, where he earned a unanimous decision win over Matheus Nicolau. Since making his UFC debut in August 2023, he has remained undefeated across four appearances.
UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape is wasting little time searching for a new foe after losing his planned opponent early next month.
Following a return to winning ways via a knockout of Bruno Silva in Tampa last December, Kape was booked for a potential title eliminator against Brandon Royval in the UFC Vegas 103 main event on March 1.
After unsurprisingly firing shots at his stricken rival on social media, “Starboy” quickly turned his attention to securing a different opponent for that date.
But should that be the case, the former Rizin champion still won’t be without options. He’s already agreed to one alternative, giving the green light to a clash with the in-form Charles Johnson.
Having won four straight in the division, many were surprised to see the #12-ranked Johnson booked against a name outside the top 15 in Ramazon Temirov next time out.
With that bout set for the same March 1 event that Kape was scheduled to headline, perhaps “InnerG” will get his wish for a more prominent booking and be elevated to headline status versus “Starboy.”
Another UFC headliner has fallen through just weeks on from the promotion’s late scramble to find a new main event for its first pay-per-view this year.
The opening numbered event of 2025, UFC 311, received a major change late in the day when Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from his title challenge against lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev on just 24 hours’ notice.
Renato Moicano subsequently stepped in, but that didn’t stop the disappointment of those excited to witness the Dagestani and Armenian rivals run it back.
No event is ever safe from cancellations, but the organization might be cursing its luck after losing another headliner in the first quarter of this year.
Former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval took to Instagram Wednesday to reveal he’s been forced to pull out of his UFC Fight Night main event against Manel Kape at the Apex on March 1 due to injury.
“Unfortunately I’m going to have to pull out of my fight, I’m sorry to Manel Kape and my fans,” Royval wrote. “I’m facing an injury that has me questioning when I’ll be able to train again. This is absolutely a fight I think needs to happen for the flyweight division but as of right now competing month has been ill advised. Love y’all and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I’ll have more details on my YouTube this week.”
It remains to be seen whether the promotion will seek a replacement opponent for Kape or reschedule that bout for a later date.
In terms of a new headline matchup, the event’s current lineup is devoid of options. With a middleweight clash between Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez set for the co-main event, the promotion will likely need to put together a new high-profile bout to close the show in Las Vegas on March 1.
A lot can change across 12 months in MMA which means that at the start of 2025, it’s time to speculate about what the year has in store for fight fans. Aljamain Sterling did just that via his podcast where he went division by division to pick out names that could become UFC champions by the end of the year.
The former UFC bantamweight champion picked out four names contenders who he believes have the potential to dethrone the current titleholders in their respective divisions. He started at flyweight where a recently reported clash for March 1 between the #1 and #6-ranked competitors will likely decide the next opponent for Alexandre Pantoja.
“I can see Manel Kape as 125. Dude, he’s just a super fun fighter to watch. He’s very well-rounded, his ground game might be as good as his standup but he’s very well-rounded. If he can keep the fight standing long enough, he’s clean enough where I think he actually gives Pantoja a run for his money.”
Sterling also named a challenger who has already had his title fight made official for the first PPV card of the year. Though he didn’t necessarily pick Arman Tsarukyan to beat Islam Makhachev in their lightweight title rematch, “Funkmaster” believes that he has a good chance of doing it.
“Arman Tsarukyan I think has a very great potential for an upset in January and that’s just based on how he looked when he fought Islam the first time, how he’s looked over the years, growing, and he was only 22.”
The final two picks on Sterling’s list came down to the two heavyweight weight classes in the sport. If there was a consensus list from the fans, you’d probably expect to see both Magomed Ankalaev and Tom Aspinall make the cut.
Ankalaev is believed to be the toughest test for Alex Pereira and in Aspinall’s case, he might not even get the chance to fight Jon Jones before being promoted to the world champion if there title unification never takes place.
“I could see Ankalaev becoming champ in 2025. I could see that.
“Heavyweight I think Tom Aspinall. I don’t see Jon Jones sticking around much longer. I think he does one more fight whether it’s against Pereira or Tommy Aspinall but I think at some point, Tommy Aspinall will become the undisputed champion.”
UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval believes the magnitude of his next fight lends itself to a better environment than the Apex.
2024 was a successful year for the #1-ranked Royval, who entered it off the back of a disappointing performance in his title challenge against Alexandre Pantoja last December.
With that, the 32-year-old is firmly back within the championship conversation at 125 pounds. And to earn another chance at the gold, Royval must now get past Manel Kape.
“Kape and I is a dope ass fight,” he wrote on X. “We should make this happen in front of an audience.”
For “Starboy,” the bout offers the chance for him to secure a first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage. The former Rizin champ originally called his shot for a rematch versus Pantoja next year after a dominant victory over Bruno Silva in Tampa earlier this month.
But after Dana White was quick to dismiss that as a possibility, Kape now has his next assignment in the calendar, as he looks to wrest Royval’s top contender status away in 2025 en route to the flyweight throne.
Manel Kape’s recent performance will not earn him a UFC flyweight title shot — at least not yet. He may, however, be one fight away from getting such.
Per Ag. Fight, Kape’s next fight has already been booked, as he will take on former title challenger Brandon Royval in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card at the APEX on March 1, 2025.
Kape competed on last week’s UFC Tampa card, taking out Bruno Silva in a highlight TKO. The result marked “Starboy’s” fifth win in his last six fights and helped him bounce back from a loss in his dlackluster outing with Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 earlier this year.
Manel Kape vs. Brandon Royval Targeted For March 1 UFC Fight Night
Royval is on a similar path, having defeated former champion Brandon Moreno and the highly touted Tatsuro Taira in his two 2024 fights. His sole loss in recent times was an unsuccessful challenge of current flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296. “Raw Dawg” also lost to Pantoja in their initial 2021 meeting.
Pantoja, meanwhile , successfully defended the title against former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura in the Japanese star’s UFC debut earlier this month at UFC 310.
As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.
And in the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Tampa, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Strawweight: No changes.
Women’s Flyweight: Miranda Maverick didn’t perform as she had hoped on Saturday night, but she still got the job done over Jamey-Lyn Horth and has returned to the UFC rankings as a result. She’s now at #15, with her entry pushing out Casey O’Neill entirely.
Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.
Flyweight: Manel Kape was among the biggest winners to emerge from 2024’s final event, as he put on a show en route to stopping Bruno Silva with strikes in round three. “Starboy” has subsequently climbed three places to #6. The defeated Brazilian, meanwhile, has dropped one spot behind Charles Johnson (#12) to #13.
Bantamweight: No changes.
Featherweight: No changes.
Lightweight: No changes.
Welterweight: The final UFC winner of this year was Joaquin Buckley, who dominated former interim champion Colby Covington to stake his claim for a title eliminator next time out. The victory has seen “New Mansa” surge three places up the ladder to #6. “Chaos” has gone the same distance the other way, leaving him at #9 and on the brink of exiting the division’s top 10.
There's no one like him! 💥
Since 2020, no UFC fighter has had more KO/TKO wins than Joaquin Buckley (8).
One of the stand out performances from the final UFC event of 2024 came courtesy of Manel “Starboy” Kape. The flyweight contender returned to the win column with one of his best performances inside the Octagon to date against Bruno Silva.
Kape looked incredibly fast and accurate in Tampa and though he can still be a divisive character, displays like this make it easy to remember why some fans were so excited for him to arrive in the UFC. It doesn’t seem like this win will be enough for him to get his first shot at the title but he won’t be far off following this victory.
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was enjoying some food whilst watching the Portuguese stand out go to work during his YouTube reactions to the fights.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, he heard his own name after Kape used his time on the mic to reignite an old feud. At UFC 293, Kape and Adesanya got into a heated exchange at the press conference due to the flyweight’s comments about one of Adesanya’s close teammates, Kai Kara-France.
After getting his hand raised, Kape spent part of his post-fight interview calling out the likes of Kara-France, Adesanya and Brandon Moreno. Having just given “Starboy” lots of credit for his performance, “The Last Stylebender” was caught off guard but he did find the whole thing amusing rather than taking it to heart.
“Why’d he say f*** me for? Man, I give this guy this credit like he’s looking nice and then he said ‘F*** you’. Hey, I still keep it real man, he f****** showed out. Hey man, this shows I been in his head this whole time, I didn’t even think it was like that but he did well, good job… little b**** a** n****.”
“Starboy” bounced back in style, putting on a show with the kind of striking and confident showboating that attracted the MMA leader’s attention while he held gold under the Rizin banner.
In the aftermath, the Angola-born Portuguese fighter pleaded with Dana White cageside, making his case for the next shot at Alexandre Pantoja. That was a continuation of a conversation Kape also attempted to start in-between rounds.
Unfortunately for “Starboy,” he seemingly wasn’t persuasive enough.
During the post-fight press conference backstage at Amalie Arena, UFC CEO Dana White reflected on Kape’s perseverance when it came to pitching a rematch with champ Pantoja, whom he lost to in his promotional debut back in 2021.
White did not, however, have the answer the flyweight contender would have been hoping for.
“No, he’s not getting a title shot,” White said. “But we’ll definitely give him what he’s looking for.”
It’s unclear what White is referring to, given that Kape was looking for a shot at redemption opposite Pantoja with the flyweight gold on the line next year.
Regardless, it seems “Starboy” has some work to do if he’s to secure a first championship opportunity on MMA’s biggest stage and the chance to add UFC gold to his trophy cabinet in the sport.
Manel Kape looked to make a statement as to why he should be next in line for Alexandre Pantoja and the UFC flyweight championship. And perhaps he’s made a case after his finish of Bruno Silva at UFC Tampa.
Kape’s path to victory in the fight didn’t come without battle scars. Silva landed three low blows on “Starboy” before the halfway point of the fight, resulting in the Brazilian being deducted one point.
Ultimately, that didn’t make a difference for Silva. Kape’s offense was on full display over the course of the second round, and though Silva landed some power during the third frame, the top 10 contender landed a kick that started a flurry and quickly put “Bulldog” away.
Silva argued (ironically) that the initial kick was a low blow, but it wasn’t enough to overturn referee Keith Petersen’s original no call.
UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape is set to return this weekend in Tampa where he closes out his 2024 campaign by facing off with the dangerous Bruno Silva at the Amelie Arena. This contest will be his first fight back since his controversial clash with Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 in Manchester this past July.
There was a lot of tension between the two men throughout fight week that spilled over once they got inside the Octagon. However, once the fight itself had actually started, it wasn’t the most exciting contest. Mokaev’s win should’ve seen the undefeated contender solidify his status as the next in line for a flyweight title shot but instead, the UFC chose to not re-sign him after he had no fights left on his deal.
Considering all of the drama between them in the lead up to their fight, it’s not surprising that Kape isn’t upset about his former opponent departing the promotion. During his media day interviews, “Starboy” labelled “The Punisher” as “dirty”, accusing him of committing multiple fouls in their fight that changed the outcome.
Kape also places some of the blame for that fight on the third man inside the Octagon, referee Mike Beltran. He believes that he was having to do Beltran’s job for him after the official failed to spot and penalize Mokaev’s infringements and for that, he thinks Beltran should have also been forced to leave.
“What is even worse is the referee. I don’t think he was a man; it was a b*tch move,” Kape said. “He was looking at him when he grabbed my shorts, and when I dropped my hands to lose the position, Mokaev still grabbed my shorts out of fear because it was one of my favorite submissions, the kneebar. I felt the victory in the moment. If I had gotten the victory, no one would have called the fight boring because I would have finished him.
“The referee should have taken a point; he didn’t do his job. Mokaev got fired, and one of the other people that should have been fired was the referee, as he didn’t do his job…the referee was the main issue. Listen,” Kape continued. “There was also an issue when I punched Mokaev, and he put a finger in my eye, so I gave my back because it was bad, and the referee didn’t do anything…I felt in that fight that I was a fighter and referee because it was me who stopped the fight multiple times…there were multiple fouls, and I think the UFC should fire him as well. So, it was just Mokaev.”
Watch Kape’s full media day interview via MMA Fighting below:
UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape will have the chance to get his ball rolling once again before the year is out.
Kape (19-7) had his pursuit of a title shot and rematch with reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja stalled at UFC 304 this past April, where he fell short across three rounds opposite Muhammad Mokaev inside Manchester’s Co-op Live.
That result snapped the Angola-born Portuguese fighter’s four-fight winning run. And to bounce back this year, Kape will need to defend his #9 ranking against a name outside the top 10.
Per Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight, Kape will return to meet the challenge of Bruno Silva (14-5-2, 1 NC) at the UFC Fight Night in Tampa, Florida on December 14.
Prior to his setback opposite Mokaev, Kape had risen the ranks with victories over Ode’ Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, David Dvořák, and Felipe dos Santos. That run established the former Rizin bantamweight champion as a contender after an 0-2 start to life in the UFC.
Silva, meanwhile, went winless across his first three UFC fights. Like Kape, however, he’s enjoyed a strong resurgence by having his hand raised in four consecutive bouts. “Bulldog” most recently followed a submission victory over Tyson Nam by knocking out Cody Durden at the Apex this past July.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Tampa on Dec. 14 are as follows:
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas (women’s strawweight)
Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva (flyweight)
Tracy Cortez vs. Miranda Maverick (women’s flyweight)
Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino (light heavyweight)
Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras (bantamweight)
Piera Rodriguez vs. Josefine Knutsson (women’s strawweight)
Tuco Tokkos vs. Navajo Striling (light heavyweight)
Muhammad Mokaev has detailed his reasoning for burying the hatchet with Manel Kape despite their pre-fight animosity at UFC 304.
Mokaev and Kape collided on the preliminary card of this past weekend’s pay-per-view event, which went down inside the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.
Their fight was among the most anticipated in the lead-up, partially down to the bad blood that appeared to exist between the two flyweight contenders owing to a number of physical altercations.
Following an apparent bust-up at the UFC Performance Institute in March instigated by “Starboy,” Mokaev returned the favor on home turf during UFC 304 fight week, sucker-punching his opponent outside the fighter hotel.
During a backstage interview with Caroline Pearce for TNT Sports, Mokaev reflected on his victorious performance over Kape and addressed some of the talking points that emerged from the UFC 304 matchup.
When asked about his respectful post-fight interaction with his Angola-born Portuguese rival, “The Punisher” insisted that when it comes time to do battle inside the Octagon, the hatchet must be buried.
“It was more personal. It happened in Vegas five days before my fight against Alex Perez. I had a cut. … Once he came to Manchester, once I see him, I had to welcome him to Manchester,” Mokaev said. “You know, the man is here to feed his family. He has a baby, I have a kid in the house. We’re both here to make our fridge full. I cannot kick a man down. He is already down.
“In this situation, I could have got knocked out tonight too. And I wouldn’t like it if somebody kept kicking me down and talking sh*t,” Mokaev continued. “What ever happened, it happened on the streets. Inside the Octagon, I think it should be settled. I’m young, but I’m not stupid.”
The Dagestan-born Brit’s online activity, meanwhile, has largely centered around his surprise UFC release. At the UFC 304 post-fight press conference, Dana White revealed that the promotion wouldn’t be renewing Mokaev’s contract owing to factors outside of the Octagon.
This is first time I punched outside the cage, it was more personal
He was the one who head butted 5 days before Perez fight when I went to shake his hand in Vegas! I understand, this is wrong what happen at the hotel and I apologise to the UFC, but there’s some nights I…
The Dagestan-born Brit appeared on the preliminary card, sharing the Octagon with Manel Kape. While relegated from the main card, the matchup was among the most anticipated in the lead-up to the numbered event.
In addition to that being down to the low-volume and entertainment nature of the fight, the 23-year-old also raised eyebrows with one particular tactic he employed on the ground. After taking Kape down in the first round, the Brit blatantly pulled “Starboy’s” shorts.
Many have suggested Mokaev was fortunate to escape without losing a point, but the man himself seemingly has no regrets, insisting he’ll use whatever warnings he has in the chamber to stretch the rules…
Mokaev On UFC 304 Fouling: ‘I Have To Take Every Single Opportunity’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS5BRRMCNFQ
During a backstage interview in Manchester with Caroline Pearce for TNT Sports, Mokaev reflected on his victory over Kape and some of the controversy surrounding it.
The topic of how referees enforce the rules has long been a prominent one, with frequent fouls such as fence grabs going unpunished and met with a multitude of verbal warnings.
Mokaev, though, appeared to share a ‘if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying’ mantra.
“It’s a fight, yeah? You grab, do everything you can to win a fight,” Mokaev said. “There’s a reason we’ve got the warnings. I’ll do everything. I am young, I have to take every single opportunity in the Octagon. I know sometimes stuff doesn’t look (good), but I’ll do what I can.”
It remains to be seen what lies in the future of “The Punisher,” who told TNT Sports in the aftermath of his win that he was hoping to be sent a new contract ahead of a possible title shot against Alexandre Pantoja.
It now appears that he’ll have to adjust his sights to a championship elsewhere.
In the eyes of most, the bout was a likely title eliminator at 125 pounds, and the stakes and anticipation only increased when they got into numerous aggressive altercations during fight week.
While some disagreed with the decision going in “The Punisher’s” favor, the biggest point of contention came in round one when the Dagestan-born brit displayed some of the most egregious fouling in recent memory.
After landing a takedown, Mokaev blatantly pulled Kape’s shorts down, leading to firm complaints from “Starboy.” But despite the views of the commentary team and many in the community, no point was taken.
That fact has left the defeated Kape less than pleased…
Kape Admits He Underperformed At UFC 304 But Claims He Deserved More
A few hours on from his disappointing setback in Manchester, Kape took to social media to release his first public statement on the result.
The Angola-born Portuguese flyweight insisted he deserved the victory and pointed out Mokaev’s cheating early on, as well as some other fouls he believes went unpunished from referee Mike Beltran.
I definitely won this fight , that pull of the shorts deserved to be removed the point, two fingers in the eyes, 3 kicks in balls … Anyway, It was not the best performance, I apologize for those who expected the best from me but only Allah knows .
“I definitely won this fight, that pull of the shorts deserved to be removed the point, two fingers in the eyes, 3 kicks in balls,” Kape wrote. “Anyway, It was not the best performance, I apologize for those who expected the best from me but only Allah knows. Alhamdulillah for everything.”
While he may have had his championship ambitions stalled for the time being, he appears to have had the last laugh in his feud with Mokaev.
