The top contenders in Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Flyweight division are about to get sorted.
A match up between No. 6-ranked 125-pound contender, Muhammed Mokaev (12-0, 1 no contest), and the No. 7-ranked Manel Kape (19-6) has been verbally agreed to for UFC 304, according to Mokaev before a report from MMA Junkie. UFC 304 is scheduled to take place in Manchester, England on July 27, 2024.
Mokaev and Kape have been two of the most promising contenders among the Top 10 yet to challenge for Flyweight gold. For the 23-year-old Mokaev, he’s been a highly-touted prospect since he started his career in Brave Combat Federation in 2020. He’s won six in a row in UFC and hoped his last victory, a unanimous decision over Alex Perez, would have led to a title shot.
Perez’s loss led him into a more advantageous position thanks to Kape’s mishaps last month (April 27, 2024). Kape, 30, was originally booked to rematch Matheus Nicolau in UFC Vegas 91’s main event until the former RIZIN Fighting Federation Bantamweight champion suffered a rib injury. Instead, Perez entered and pulled off the upset to snap his three-fight losing skid with a second round knockout of Nicolau.
A win for either Mokaev or Kape in their expected clash could be enough to secure a title shot. On Kape’s end, a win would extend his winning streak to five in a row after setbacks in his first two Octagon appearances.
The current UFC 304 line up can be seen below.
- 125lbs.: Muhammed Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
- 145lbs.: Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
- 145lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze