Tag: Manel Kape

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 ā€“ [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 ā€“ 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 ā€“ 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.

Manel Kape: Muhammad Mokaev wanted a big test, ‘I’m the biggest test of this division’

Manel Kape warns Muhammad Mokaev to be careful what he wishes for.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] warns [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] to be careful what he wishes for.

Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Mokaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 304 main card July 27 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

Constantly eager for a step up in competition, Mokaev will get that in former Rizin champion Kape. Their flyweight fight is expected to be a No. 1 contender bout, and Kape plans on showing the undefeated contender that he is the next level.

“There always has to be a bad blood because he is coming to take what is mine,” Kape told Inside Fighting. “I’m coming to take what is yours, so there is no peace, by the way, between me and my opponents. Only after the fight, there is peace, but before that, there is no peace. We all want to win. There is no beef between me and Mokaev.

“Mokaev in the past, he wanted to fight me so much, he tweeted a lot about fighting me. OK, he wants to fight the best. He wants to prove to his fans, the UFC, everybody that he’s ready for the big dog. Since Day 1 that he joined the UFC, he’s been calling out many fighters. He fights, he wins. He wanted a big test because I’m the biggest test of this division, so there you go. You ask for something, they deliver. Let’s see if he’s capable to deal with that.”

Mokaev has finished four of his six octagon wins. Kape acknowledges his skills, but isn’t ready to shower him with praise just yet.

“I can’t say he impressed me because it’s very difficult for someone to impress me, but he’s doing well. I’m not impressed because I see a lot of mistakes that show the difference between an excellent fighter and a championship material.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 304.

Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 304 fight

Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev square off in a pivotal flyweight clash at UFC 304. Here’s what you need to know.

A potential No. 1 contender flyweight bout between [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] takes place at UFC 304.

Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev preview

After dropping his first two UFC bouts, former Rizin champion Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has won four straight ā€“ knocking out Ode’ Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov, followed by decision wins over David Dvorak and most recently Felipe Dos Santos at UFC 293.

Mokaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) remained unbeaten when he defeated former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238. Prior to that, the 23-year-old submitted five of his past six opponents, including Tim Elliott.

Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev odds

DraftKings released the odds for the bout, with Kape opening up as a slight -130 favorite over Mokaev, who’s a +110 underdog.

How to watch Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304

  • When:Ā July 27
  • Where:Ā Co-op Live, Manchester, England
  • Broadcast/streaming:Ā ESPN+ pay-per-view

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 304.

Manel Kape ready to shut down Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304: ‘Everything I do is a masterclass’

Manel Kape expects to emerge as a No. 1 contender after UFC 304.

[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 Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 304.

Top flyweight contenders Manel Kape, Muhammad Mokaev targeted for UFC 304 clash

A high-stakes flyweight showdown between Manel Kape and Muhammad Mokaev is expected to take place at UFC 304 this summer.

A high-stakes flyweight showdown between [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] is expected to take place at UFC 304 this summer.

Mokaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) announced on Wednesday on Instagram that he is set to take on Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in what will likely serve as a 125-pound title eliminator on the July 27 event at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie that Kape has verbally agreed to the bout. The person requested anonymity because no official UFC announcement has been made.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6uIXR5IiSR

Mokaev, No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, is on a six-fight winning streak inside the octagon and is unbeaten throughout his amateur and professional career. He was passed over for a title shot at UFC 301 against Alexandre Pantoja in favor of Steve Erceg, but the 23-year-old could solidify his opportunity at gold with another win.

No. 10-ranked Kape, meanwhile, will bring a four-fight winning streak into UFC 304. He’s struggled to stay active in recent years, though, with a slew of injuries, cancellations, and a weight miss stunting his progress.

The latest UFC 304 lineup now includes:

  • Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev
  • Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
  • Daniel Pineda vs. Nathaniel Wood

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

Manel Kape insists UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja not on his level

Manel Kape is confident he’d avenge his loss to Alexandre Pantoja if they rematched.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] is confident he’d avenge his loss to [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] if they rematched.

Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) spoiled Kape’s (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) UFC debut when he defeated him by unanimous decision in February 2021.

Kape has since gone 4-1, and was on the cusp of title contention before withdrawing for a second time against Matheus Nicolau in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 241 headliner, this time due to a rib injury.

“He’s not on my level,” Kape said on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “Pantoja is not on my level, believe me. He can fight whatever style. I am a good match with him.”

Kape pointed to the slippery canvas preventing him from moving as the reason why he lost to Pantoja in their first fight.

“The thing is, it was not the skills but I was sliding a lot in the cage,” Kape said. “If you watch the fight properly, I was more concerned to balance. I was sliding. I was like using a skate, and I couldn’t punch. If you slide, you can’t have the power to counter, to go back, to pull.

“You don’t feel grip. You see the two fights that I lost. … It’s not that they do something. They don’t do anything. It was just inactivity on my part because of course I can’t go there to punch and go back to pull, I was like sliding. Very slippery.”

Pantoja defends his flyweight title against Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) main event at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub for UFC 301.

Manel Kape reveals rib injury caused UFC Fight Night 241 withdrawal vs. Matheus Nicolau

UFC flyweight standout Manel Kape simply can’t catch a break.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] can’t catch a break.

Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) on Tuesday pulled out of his UFC Fight Night 241 headliner vs. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2) scheduled for April 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and was replaced by Alex Perez.

Kape and Nicolau were originally scheduled to run things back in January, but the fight was scrappedĀ after Kape missed weight by 3.5 pounds.

In a social media post Wednesday morning, “Starboy” revealed that he broke his rib and required surgery.

“This is the first time I’ve ever pull out of a fight, I broke the cartilage of my rib and I couldn’t move for a week. On Thursday last week my surgery went extremely well. Bare in mind that all my fights that got cancelled in the past was due to my opponents. Where I came from we used to fight for free, I’m not bragging about I’m just being honest so don’t ever think I’m like some of you guys. ALLAH IS THE GREAT šŸ¤²šŸ¼ #notimeforbrokepeople #mytimeismoney.”

After four fights in 2021, Kape competed only once each in 2022 and 2023. Currently riding a four-fight winning streak, Kape has seen nine fights scrapped since joining the UFC roster in March 2020. Many of those fights were canceled because of his opponents, but it was Kape who withdrew from his past two scheduled bouts vs. Nicolau.

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Manel Kape out of UFC Fight Night 241 headliner vs. Matheus Nicolau, Alex Perez steps in as replacement

Alex Perez replaces Manel Kape to fight Matheus Nicolau in the main event of UFC Fight Night 241 on April 27.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]’s 2024 return to the octagon has been delayed again.

The UFC flyweight contender is out of his bout against [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag], which was to serve as the headliner of a UFC Fight Night event on April 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Now, veteran [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] has been pulled from a scheduled matchup of his own to step in as a replacement to face Nicolau.

The news was announced by the promotion on Tuesday and later independently confirmed by MMA Junkie.

Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2) were originally supposed to rematch in January, but the fight was scrapped after Kape missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Kape has had many fight cancellations in the last couple of years, leaving him to fight only once in 2022 and once more in 2023.

Nicolau was the last fighter to defeat Kape, winning a split decision in March 2021. He looks to rebound from a loss to former title challenger Brandon Royval, which snapped the 31-year-old’s six-fight winning streak.

Replacing Kape, Perez (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is also looking to bounce back from defeat. “Turbo” was scheduled to face Tagir Ulanbekov on June 15 before the shift to facing Nicolau. The former UFC title challenger is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev in March. He’s currently on a three-fight losing streak, with his last win coming in 2020.

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Manel Kape vs. Matheus Nicolau 2 set to headline UFC Fight Night in April

Flyweight Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau will run it back, this time headlining an April UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] will run it back again, this time in a UFC Fight Night headliner.

The pair were previously booked for a rematch in January, and made it as far as an official faceoff, but the fight was scrapped after Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) missed the flyweight limit by 3.5 pounds. Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2) made weight and initially agreed to accept a percentage of Kape’s purse, but the fight did not proceed.

Now the flyweight contenders are set to meet again in the main event on April 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. MMA Junkie confirmed the news with two sources with knowledge of the matchup following a first report from MMA Mania.

Kape, 30, said an illness and antibiotics use led to the weight miss in January. In his statement on Instagram, he said he offered his entire purse to save the fight, but to no avail. “Starboy” has won four consecutive fights, with six cancelations occurring during that stretch.

Nicolau was the last fighter to defeat Kape, winning a split decision in March 2021. He will look to rebound from a loss to former title challenger Brandon Royval. Before that setback, the 31-year-old flyweight won six straight contests.

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With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup on April 27 includes:

  • Matheus Nicolau vs. Manel Kape
  • Ariane Lipski vs. Karine Silva
  • Joel Alvarez vs. Mateusz Rebecki
  • Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane
  • Gabriel Benitez vs. Hayisaer Maheshate
  • Michal Figlak vs. Austin Hubbard
  • Caio Machado vs. Don’Tale Mayes
  • Gabe Green vs. James Llontop
  • Liang Na vs. Ivana Petrovic