Manel Kape, an Angolan-Portuguese MMA fighter born on November 14, 1993, now competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Flyweight category.
Kape has been a professional fighter since 2012, having previously competed for the Rizin Fighting Federation, Cage Fighters, and Knock Out Championship. He was the former Rizin and Knock Out Championships bantamweight champion.
Before starting his mixed martial arts career, Kape competed in a number of boxing events. His first MMA match came when he was 14 years old. At the age of 17, he faced Artur Gomes in his first professional match while competing with the Cage Fighters at Cage Fighters 2. Through a TKO, Kape prevailed in the opening round.
Due to the three postponed fights, Kape took a two-year break from fighting. He then signed with the Rizin Fighting Federation and was scheduled to compete in the Rizin bantamweight Grand Prix. When he took on Erson Yamamoto at Rizin 6, he made his debut.
Given that Erson's mother had already lost earlier in the evening, Yamamoto was perplexed by Kape's reported comment that "[Your] mom just lost and [You] are next" during the fight. Even though the stoppage was viewed by many onlookers as premature, Kape would go on to win the fight after only 71 seconds with a left-leg head kick KO.
On March 30, 2020, Kape became the first Portuguese-Angolan fighter to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship when it was announced that he had signed a four-fight contract with the UFC.
Kape was set to make his official debut against Rogério Bontorin at UFC 252 on August 15, 2020. The fight was later called off due to Bontorin's ankle injury. Kape was slated to face Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 290 on July 8, 2023. The fight was called off after Figueiredo withdrew due to a lack of medical clearance.
Kape and Kai Kara-France were supposed to fight at UFC 293 on September 10, 2023. Felipe dos Santos, a promotional rookie, was brought in to replace Kara-France, who withdrew from the fight in late August due to a concussion suffered in training.
Manel Kape’s Next Fight - Opponent, Date, Location
Manel Kape will square off against Matheus Nicolau on January 13, 2024, in UFC Apex Facility, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA . The duo will face each other in the co-main event of the UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 in a flyweight bout.
Manel Kape Record
Manel Kape has 19 wins and 6 losses in his professional career.
| 24 Matches | 19 Wins | 6 Loss |
| By Knockout | 11 | 0 |
| By Submission | 5 | 2 |
| By Decision | 3 | 4 |
Matheus Nicolau Record
Manuel Kape has registered 19 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw as a professional mixed martial arts competitor.
| 23 matches | 19 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 6 | 3 |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 8 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
Manel Kape Last Fight
Manel Kape locked horns with Felipe dos Santos in his most recent outing to the octagon on September 10, 2023. The fight went the distance of three rounds and Kape was adjudged the winner by a unanimous decision.
FAQs
A. Manel Kape's next opponent is Matheus Nicolau.
A. Manel Kape's next fight is scheduled for January 13, 2024.
A. Manel Kape's next fight will be held at the Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
A. Manel Kape has a record of 19 wins and six losses in his MMA career.
A. He has a professional MMA record of 19 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw.
