Midnight Mania! UFC Signs Ex-Rizin Champ Manel Kape

Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every quarantined night! Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Non-Coronavirus MMA news has been scarce in the previous week or two, as the pandemic qu…

Floyd Mayweather vs Tenshin Nasukawa - RIZIN.14

Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every quarantined night!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Non-Coronavirus MMA news has been scarce in the previous week or two, as the pandemic quickly shuts down the entire world. Despite Dana White’s fabled relentlessness, good news has been even harder to find — all that’s left is cancellations and new obstacles to the few bouts still booked.

Tonight, we have an exception, as Combate reports that former Rizin Bantamweight champion Manel Kape (15-4) has signed a multi-fight deal with UFC. The 26-year-old Angolan athlete currently rides a three-fight win streak made up of three knockouts. In the most recent, Kape upset Kai Asakura to capture the vacant Rizin Bantamweight title.

Kape also holds victories over UFC veterans Ian McCall and Takeya Mizugaki.

This is exciting for a number of reasons beyond the simple idea of yet another talented Bantamweight thrown into the mix. First and foremost, Kape is a finisher; all but one of his 15 professional victories came via stoppage. Additionally, Kape has a history at Flyweight as well, meaning he has the option to immediately become a top contender in the 125-pound ranks, which are still wide open as the division slowly recovers.

Whenever the UFC engine revs back up to full speed with new matches, Kape’s debut will be an exciting one.

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Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.