MMA News: Manel Kape reacts to UFC Vegas 84 fight cancelation, ex-champ wants Francis Ngannou to headline UFC 300, Charles Oliveira slams potential Islam Makhachev fight booking: MMA News Roundup

The UFC is already facing a fight cancelation in the first event of 2024 as Manel Kape has withdrawn from his bout. An ex-UFC champion also wants to see Francis Ngannou return and Charles Oliveira slams Islam Makhachev's booking.

Find out more details in today's (Jan. 13) Sportskeeda daily news roundup.

#3 Manel Kape reacts to his UFC Vegas 84 fight cancelation

Manel Kape has had UFC Vegas 84 bout canceled after he weighed in over the flyweight non-title limit. He was due to face Matheus Nicolau in a rematch of their 2021 clash.

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Kape then took to social media hours later to address the situation and gave his reasoning as to why he hit the scales at 129.5 pounds. According to 'Starboy', he claimed to have come down with a virus after landing in Las Vegas which forced him out of training, meaning he missed weight.

Kape also claimed Nicolau had declined the fight even when offered a percentage of his purse. He tweeted:

"Two weeks ago I was extremely sick due to a virus that happened here in Las Vegas. I had to stay out of training for 5 days and filling myself with antibiotics... My coaches and manager thought it was better for me to cancel the fight due to the state I was in. But I decided to move on and not cancel. My opponent didn't accept the fight or accept my purse."

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#2 Former UFC champion explains why Francis Ngannou should be brought back for UFC 300

Former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold believes the UFC must bring back Francis Ngannou to headline UFC 300 on April 13, 2024.

Dana White recently announced the first title bout for the card, which features an all Chinese clash between women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan. He has since received criticism from fans for the booking so far, with many believing he has yet to deliver on the promises he made.

In an interview with The Schmo, Rockhold weighed in on UFC 300 and stated that if he was in charge, he'd bring back Ngannou to headline the show. He said:

"Yeah, I mean, I would f**king bring back Francis. He can fight anybody, really. I mean, if that's the number-one man in the game, that's the real heavyweight. If you're gonna do 300, you want the baddest man on the f**king planet, and that's Francis Ngannou. So, nothing else matters."

Catch Rockhold's comments here (7:20):

#1 Charles Oliveira criticises Islam Makhachev's fight booking

Charles Oliveira has dimissed the idea of Islam Makhachev facing Justin Gaethje next.

Last week, Makhachev took to social media to lay out his plan for his next three fights. The lightweight champ outlined his desire to face face Gaethje, the winner of Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan and then anybody else in 2025.

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In a recent interview with MMA journalist Diego Ribas, Oliveira gave his reaction to Makhachev's plans. 'Do Bronx' explained:

"I was told [Makhachev] was coming back from an injury. One of the main things I've learned is that these guys are all learning to play the game... Maybe this fight with Justin Gaethje will happen, it could be. But honestly, I don't think so. I think it's a fight that doesn't make sense. But there's nothing else to talk about. I was told that he was only looking forward."

Catch Oliveira's comments here:

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Will began his tenure at Sportskeeda as an MMA writer over 2 years ago and has penned over 1800 pieces so far, including 35+ exclusives, which have garnered close to 5 million views.

Will graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Media and Communications from Bournemouth University, where he was also a valued member of their communications team. His degree heavily focused on social media and writing, which eventually led him toward sports writing.

He turned into an MMA fan after witnessing Conor McGregor’s 13-second TKO win over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in 2015. The Irishman sits at the top of his list of top-five MMA fighters of all time, which also includes world champions like Demetrious Johnson, Michael Bisping, Max Holloway, and Georges St-Pierre.

Will especially enjoys working on event days and feels his contribution to Sportskeeda’s UFC 300 coverage was one of the high points of his time with the organization. He ensures his articles are accurate by going through multiple sources, which also helps his writing be as informative as possible.

His interests away from work include football, gaming, live streaming, and listening to music.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi