[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] expects to emerge as a No. 1 contender after UFC 304.
Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a pivotal flyweight clash July 27 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
With both Kape and Mokaev on winning streaks, “Starboy” is confident that handing Mokaev his first-career loss will lead to a shot at UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
“There is no other fighter,” Kape said in an interview with Grind City Media. “If there was, it’s (Amir) Albazi, but Albazi is injured, so maybe he’s going to have one more fight. Mokaev is the youngest fighter right now. He’s been making a lot of noise, he’s (on a) six-win streak.
“So, there has to be someone. That someone is me that has to shut down this. …I’m going to do my job. I’m going to do my work, and my work is never boring. Everything I’m going to do is a masterclass. Everything I do is special. Everything I do is perfect.”
Mokaev has used his wrestling to control and dominate most of his opposition, but Kape is confident that he’s well rounded enough to handle him.
“I’m not focused on the wrestling. I’m not focused on his strength of wrestling,” Kape said. “How many fighters have you seen take me down? Even Pantoja the champion when he fought me, he didn’t take me down, you think Mokaev is going to take me down? If he takes me down, I’m going to do what I did to David Dvorak, I’m going to take his arm off.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.