This weekend (Sat., Jan. 13, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight talents Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau will rematch at UFC Vegas 84 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The two first threw down at UFC Vegas 21 in March 2021. Despite 100 percent of media scorecards being in favor of “Star Boy,” Kape remained winless in his early UFC career (despite this bold claim), as Nicolau was awarded the controversial split decision victory. Regardless, both men have since picked up quality wins to advance up the Flyweight ladder. Nicolau came up short in a title eliminator last time out (it was bad), whereas Kape is currently riding a four-fight win streak that has really proven his championship potential.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25214669/1670968412.jpg)
Manel Kape
Record: 19-6
Key Wins: Kai Asakura (Rizin 20), David Dvorak (UFC Vegas 66), Zhalgas Zhumagulov (UFC Vegas 44), Takeya Mizugaki (Rizin 18), Ode Osbourne (UFC 265)
Key Losses: Kyoji Horiguchi (Rizin World Grand Prix 2017), Alexandre Pantoja (UFC Vegas 18), Matheus Nicolau (UFC Vegas 21)
Keys To Victory: Kape is one of the most naturally gifted athletes at 125 pounds. He’s absurdly fast and carries significant power in his hands. He offers a similar challenge to John Dodson back at his peak, except Kape has proven himself a bit better at building combinations rather than solely counter punching.
That said, Kape’s inactivity cost him in the last bout versus Nicolau. It’s been a recurring theme throughout his career that Kape doesn’t push the pace hard enough, though it’s also an issue he’s clearly been working at. This rematch three years removed from the first fight is a great chance to show his improvement.
Neither man is a high-output fighter. Both like to counter punch, and nobody wants to leave his chin on a silver platter for the other. Given Kape’s speed and feints, however, he should be able to get in-and-out fast enough that he can force Kape to come to him, at which point his own traps can engage.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25214671/1446605861.jpg)
Matheus Nicolau
Record: 19-3-1
Key Wins: Manel Kape (UFC Vegas 21), Matt Schnell (UFC Orlando), David Dvorak (UFC Columbus), Tim Elliott (UFC Vegas 39)
Key Losses: Brandon Royval (UFC Kansas City), Dustin Ortiz (UFC on FOX 30)
Keys To Victory: Nicolau is a highly technical and talented fighter. He’s quite excellent everywhere, but a couple of sudden and unexpected knockout losses have thus far kept him away from a title shot.
Nicolau is going to have to embrace volume here. He cannot hope to solely counter the faster man — that hardly ever works. If, however, he can replicate Alexandre Pantoja’s success by blasting a lot of kicks into the counter puncher, well, that has a history of working well.
The Brazilian is genuinely nasty on the counter himself. If he can punish Kape at distance with kicks and threaten the occasional takedown, he can force Kape out of his shell and lead him into heavier shots. That’s his best chance at a finish, as well as a strategy that should keep him ahead on the scorecards in the process.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25218954/1234553502.jpg)
Bottom Line
This bout could decide the next Flyweight title contender.
At a minimum, it feels like Kape could be fighting for a title shot. A victory here would be the best win of his UFC career, but more important, there aren’t many five-fight win streaks at 125 pounds. In addition, he’s been chasing high-profile, elite fights for a while, and they’ve fallen apart for reasons outside of his control. If he victorious here, a Pantoja rematch would be a reasonable next step.
Nicolau’s fairly recent loss to Brandon Royval will likely prevent a title shot, particularly given the upcoming Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi match up. Fortunately, Kape has become one of the bigger names at Flyweight, so bouncing back against “Star Boy” would go a long way in getting him back into the title mix.
At UFC Vegas 84, Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau will throw down in the co-main event. Which athlete will earn the victory?
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 84 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 84: “Ankalaev vs. Walker 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.