Tag: Manel Kape

UFC Tampa adds Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva flyweight bout

Ranked flyweights have been added to UFC Tampa as Manel Kape battles Bruno Silva at Amalie Arena.

UFC-ranked flyweights are on tap for the promotion’s final event of 2024.

At UFC on ESPN 63, [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] will look to bounce back against one another Dec. 14 in a three-round bout at Amalie Arena.

A person with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight first reported the bout Wednesday.

Kape (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) rode a four-fight winning streak into his July 27 grudge match vs. Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304. Mokaev defeated Kape by unanimous decision in a lackluster affair.

Silva (14-5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) aims to extend his winning streak to five, as he comes off four-straight finishes of JP Buys, Victor Rodriguez, Tyson Nam, and Cody Durden.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 63 lineup includes:

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino
  • Tracy Cortez vs. Miranda Maverick
  • Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez
  • Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras

Manel Kape thought he ‘definitely won’ at UFC 304, says Muhammad Mokaev’s short pull deserved point deduction

Manel Kape reacts to his decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev at Saturday’s UFC 304.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] is not happy with the officiating of his fight against [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] both from a judging and refereeing standpoint.

Kape (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC), a UFC flyweight contender and former Rizin FF champion, lost a close, but lackluster unanimous decision to Mokaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC 304 in Manchester, England.

It was a fight with little action from both sides, but with a few of fouls from Mokaev’s side, which came by an accidental eye poke and groin strike, and a blatant grab of Kape’s shorts to avoid being pushed off. Neither of which received a point deduction.

Kape was not happy with the work of referee Mike Beltran, but regardless, he thought he did enough to get his hand raised.

“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 on X. “Anyway, It was not the best performance. I apologize for those who expected the best from me, but only Allah knows. Alhamdulillah for everything.”

Kape saw a four-fight wining streak come to an end with the defeat to Mokaev. His most recent loss in the UFC had come against Brazil’s Matheus Nicolau in 2021.

Many thought the fight could’ve had title implications for the winner, given both fighters’ runs and standing in the division. Instead, he may soon be getting a pink slip from the promotion, despite his unbeaten status.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

UFC 304 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Leon Edwards, Tom Aspinall lead with $42,000

Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall fetched maximum $42,000 payouts under the Promotional Guidelines Compliance for entering UFC 304 with belts.

MANCHESTER, England – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 304 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $307,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 304 took place at Co-op Live. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 304 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]King Green[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Gregory Rodrigues[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Christian Leroy Duncan[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Bruna Brasil[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Preston Parsons[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Sam Patterson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kiefer Crosbie[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mick Parkin[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Shauna Bannon[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alice Ardelean[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,575,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $27,312,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

UFC 304 results: Rivalry fizzles as Muhammad Mokaev beats Manel Kape in lackluster affair

After an intense pre-fight build, Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape played out strangely.

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] tried all fight week to get at one another. When finally given the chance Saturday at UFC 304, there was far less willingness to engage.

The flyweight bout was part of the UFC 304 preliminary card at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, and was one of the most anticipated fights on the card, despite it’s demoted placement.

Mokaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defeated Kape (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

An adversarial build-up stemmed from an altercation the two allegedly engaged in at the UFC Performance Institute. Things got physical and the hotel during fight week, and then both fighters were restrained at ceremonial weigh-ins. Even in the minutes prior to Saturday’s fight, the blood bad was still real as Kape and Mokaev were restrained by an elevated number of security guards who were assigned to the cage for the introductions.

But when it came time for blows to be allowed, the two flyweight contenders were less willing. The first round was largely a staring contest and received a warning from referee Mike Beltran for timidity.

Round 2 was more eventful, but it was less about the action and more about the oddities. Kape suffered a toe injury midway through the frame that caused him to hobble throughout the remainder of the bout. After a takedown by Mokaev, things got heated again – though this time it was between Mokaev and Beltran.

Mokaev got a fistful of Kape’s shorts and nearly removed them all together. The maneuver infuriated Beltran, who called timeout and yelled at Mokaev. Despite the scolding, Beltran did not take a point.

Kape’s toe was examined before the third round, but the physician gave his blessing and the fight continued. Mokaev cruised to a unanimous decision victory, even sweeping all three rounds on one judge’s scorecard.

After the win, Mokaev and Kape embraced. Mokaev called for a title shot. The victory was his seventh in the promotion. Four of those victories came by submission. The other three were by decision.

On the flip side of the equation, Kape has a four-fight winning streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 304 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

Muhammad Mokaev def. Manel Kape at UFC 304: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Muhammad Mokaev’s unanimous decision win over Manel Kape at UFC 304.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] at UFC 304 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. (Photos by Ben Roberts, Getty Images; UFC; MMA Junkie)

Manel Kape thinks flyweight title rematch with Alexandre Pantoja would be much different after UFC 304

Could a win over the unbeaten Muhammad Mokaev lead to a flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja for Manel Kape?

MANCHESTER, England – [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] met the media Wednesday ahead of his fight at UFC 304.

Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Muhammad Mokaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a flyweight fight on the ESPN+ preliminary card at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. At media day in Manchester, Kape took questions from media members before his fight.

Kape and Mokaev started out on the main card, but were moved to the early prelims. Kape speculated that Mokaev hasn’t earned a main-card spot on a pay-per-view, but also said he’ll be glad to wrap his fight up earlier in the night so he can go out in Manchester to celebrate.

But he also thinks his fight with the unbeaten Mokaev could lead to a title shot with flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Pantoja beat Kape by decision in Kape’s UFC debut and return to flyweight after spending time as Rizin’s bantamweight champion.

“The first fight was not a fight,” Kape said at Wednesday’s UFC 304 media dai. “We were more cautious with each other, actually – it was not a fight. I won the third round. The second one was competitive. It’s going to be fun. I believe that the next time, if I face him again, it’s going to be like when he faced Deiveson Figueiredo – the fights going to be similar. It’s going to be that type of the blood.”

Check out Kape’s full media day interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

UFC 304: Eric Nicksick details ‘very weird’ Manel Kape-Muhammad Mokaev hotel altercation

Eric Nicksick explains why the hotel altercation between Manel Kape and Muhammad Mokaev caught him off guard.

MANCHESTER, England – Coach [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] found himself caught in the middle of [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]’s altercation at the host hotel, and he didn’t see it coming.

Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) faces Mokaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 304 from Co-op Live. Tensions have been boiling between the two top-ranked flyweights, who engaged in a brawl at the fighter hotel just days out from their fight. Kape’s coach Nicksick explains that Mokaev set Kape up after initiating conversation in a friendly manner.

“It was a very weird situation,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie. “Because we were all walking back into the hotel and then Mokaev and his team were coming out, they were very peaceful, and Mokaev wanted to take a picture with Manel. He said, ‘For our Muslim brothers, let’s take a picture for peace,’ and Manel agreed to that picture. It just felt weird.

“The whole situation kind of felt weird, but I turned my back to talk to Oban Elliott and then all of a sudden when Manel posed for that picture, Mokaev like sucker punched him. So, this whole thing ensued. It was so confusing for me because I turned around and all of a sudden there’s just commotion behind me.”

Their bad blood spilled over into the ceremonial weigh-ins, where Mokaev charged at Kape before the pair were separated. Nicksick thinks it’s a ploy from Mokaev and his team to throw Kape off his game.

“It’s very smart on the Mokaev team,” Nicksick said. “I feel like what they’re trying to do is get Manel to fight this fight emotionally and to fight out of his tactics in being precise and being accurate with the fight. So, good on them in a way, but we can’t take that bait. We got to fight smart, and that’s what we got to prove tomorrow.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

Video replay: UFC 304 press conference

You can watch a live stream of the UFC 304 press conference in Manchester, England right here on MMA Junkie.

The UFC 304 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event in the video above. The press conference takes place at Co-Op Live in Manchester, England, which also hosts Saturday’s fight card.

UFC 304 is built around two title-fight rematches involving British champions as [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] puts his welterweight title on the line in a rematch with [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag], while Tom [autotag]Aspinall[/autotag] and [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] run it back for the interim heavyweight belt.

Here’s what you need to know about the UFC 304 press conference.

What time does the UFC 304 press conference start?

The UFC 304 press conference starts at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, which is 6 p.m. local time in Manchester.

Who’s taking part in the UFC 304 press conference?

Eight fighters from four main-card bouts are slated to participate in the UFC 304 press conference: Edwards, Muhammad, Aspinall, Blaydes, [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag], [autotag]King Green[/autotag], [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag], and [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]. In addition, ranked flyweights [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] are expected from the early prelims.

UFC CEO Dana White will oversee the UFC 304 press conference.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

Muhammad Mokaev, Manel Kape’s teams scuffle in Manchester; Coach Eric Nicksick provides account

Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape’s teams got into a physical altercation before UFC 304. Coach Eric Nicksick provides detail.

Before they meet inside the octagon at UFC 304, [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]’s teams got into a physical altercation, and Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick was in the middle of it.

The flyweight matchup between Mokaev (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), which takes place on the prelims of the pay-per-view event at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on Saturday, is a big one with potential title implications.

Wednesday, members of the opposing teams got physical at the fighter hotel, causing security to quickly intervene. Among them was Kape’s coach Nicksick, who told MMA Junkie that he believes his fighter was set up.

According to Nicksick, Kape was asked to take a photo with Mokaev “for our Muslim brothers.” Kape agreed. The next moment, “Starboy” was attacked by Mokaev’s camp.

A portion of the brawl was captured on video, and is making the rounds on social media (via @Home_of_Fight on X). Nicksick can be seen trying to calm the scene.

Nicksick confirmed nobody was injured in the brief altercation.

Later, Mokaev posted a selfie to his Instagram story with a caption that translates (via Google), “This is how it happens in life. They didn’t teach you how to fight.”

MMA Junkie reached out to Mokaev, but did not receive a response at the time of writing.

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Manel Kape thinks it’s ‘too early’ for Muhammad Mokaev to go on UFC title run

Manel Kape plans to show Muhammad Mokaev a different level at UFC 304.

MANCHESTER, England – [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] plans to show [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] a different level at UFC 304.

Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Mokaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Saturday’s prelims (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

Mokaev is unbeaten, and has finished four of his six UFC opponents. However, former Rizin champion Kape aims to prove that he’ll be too big of a step up in competition for him.

“I’m going to try to make this quick because I have to put Mokaev in his place,” Kape told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC 304 media day. “In my opinion, this is too early for him, but we will see. It’s too early. There is levels to this game. He never faced a championship-caliber (fighter) and I see a lot of mistakes in his game – that’s why I say it’s too early for him.”

Kape alleged Mokaev stopped training at American Top Team because UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja was having his way with him in their grappling exchanges.

“Pantoja can say a lot of things about him because they trained before together, and I know Pantoja has been submitting him a lot,” Kape said. “He tapped a lot, and that’s the reason Mokaev doesn’t train at ATT. Actually, he’s been doing a good job.

“He’s been winning all the fights, but there is a lot of mistakes. He’s been struggling a lot – a lot of mistakes that if he faced someone in the top three in the UFC’s flyweight rankings, he’s going to get finished. So it’s going to be fun.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.