Football
Manel Kape’s first UFC win ended with a nod to one of the most popular athletes on Earth; footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
UFC flyweight Manel Kape has an impressive highlight reel during his eight-fight promotional stint. The former Rizin bantamweight champion is a matchup nightmare on the feet, as evidenced by his most recent performance at UFC Tampa.
Kape will face surging flyweight contender Asu Almabayev at UFC Vegas 102 this Saturday at the Apex. He returns to the Octagon following a brutal knockout of Bruno Silva in December to get back into the flyweight title conversation.
Before making his way to the UFC, Kape was a standout performer in Rizin, defeating the likes of former title challenger Kai Asakura and Takeya Mizugaki. But the beginning of his UFC tenure was anything but easy as Kape lost back-to-back fights to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau.
Football Manel Kape sent shockwaves through the flyweight division with a brutal flying knee
Kape entered UFC 265 against Ode’ Osbourne in a must-win situation after suffering two losses to begin his UFC contract. It was a matchup between two elite strikers with wicked speed and power for the weight class.
In the closing seconds of Round 1, Kape lured Osbourne forward, countering with a beautifully timed flying knee to Osbourne’s chin that floored the flyweight mainstay. After finishing the fight with ground-and-pound, Kape celebrated his first UFC win by mimicking footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous goal celebration.
Coincidentally, Ronaldo is an avid combat sports fan and has attended marquee fights in MMA and boxing. Ronaldo was most recently cageside with UFC CEO Dana White for the UFC Saudi Arabia fight night event.
Football Manel Kape’s performance at UFC Vegas 102 could secure Alexandre Pantoja rematch
Kape’s upcoming matchup with Almabayev comes at a time when the UFC flyweight division needs new potential title challengers. Pantoja, who defeated Asakura in his most recent flyweight title defense at UFC 310, is rumored to face Kai Kara-France later this year.
But as of this writing, nothing has been made official regarding the Pantoja vs. Kara-France fight. Kape has the opportunity to potentially skip the line and secure a rematch with Pantoja with an impressive victory.
After knocking out Osbourne, Kape amassed a four-fight winning streak before a lopsided defeat to Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304. His knockout win over Silva put him right back into the title mix, as he pleaded for a title shot during a post-fight face-to-face with White.
If Kape earns another knockout win this weekend, don’t be surprised if he drops another Ronaldo-inspired celebration.
Read More Curtis Calhoun