Tag: Manel Kape

Former Rizin bantamweight champion Manel Kape finally returned to the octagon last night at UFC Vegas 66 for the first time in over a year, where he walked straight through David Dvorak en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Following a kimura attempt at the end of the opening round, where if there were ten seconds left in the round, he certainly would’ve secured the finish, Kape nearly knocked Dvorak out on two separate occasions in round two, before ultimately winning the third and final round.

This improved Kape’s win streak to three-straight, as he handily defeated the no. 9 ranked flyweight contender.

Kape had the following to say in regards to his stellar performance at UFC Vegas 66 in his post-fight interview:

“He’s (Dvorak is) still slow. He’s still slow. He just changed his game plan. It was not usual he would fight like he (fought). Normally, if you watch his last fights, all of the fights in his career, he’s all the time the man in the center of the ring. This time, he chose to be the man back (against) the cage. I don’t know if he worked a long time for that, but if you didn’t put in work or put in the fights so many times, you’re going to lose. You’re going to lose.

“I think I was breaking his arm (with the kimura), but he showed me he has a lion heart, a spirit of sacrifice. He has a big spirit of sacrifice. He just showed he doesn’t want to lose this fight. He showed he wants to be there. He showed himself that he’s tough, but he paid the price for that.”

Following a four-fight year last year in 2021, where Kape made his UFC debut and ended the year with a pair of back-to-back knockout victories, this was Kape’s first fight in 2022. He didn’t appear to be rusty whatsoever, which is perhaps what led him to taunt his opponent comfortably.

“I feel like fish in water, you know? When I step in the cage, I feel very comfortable. I do everything that I do. I do everything I want. It’s my space, so I have a little bit of fun like I didn’t have for a long time. I just want to show this division how comfortable I am inside the cage.”

Who would you like to see Manel ‘Starboy’ Kape face next?

If you enjoyed this piece, feel free to share it on social media!

UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape is hoping to run into Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd in Las Vegas soon enough.

When the term “Starboy” is thrown around, perhaps most around the globe will think of The Weeknd and his third studio album. Released in 2016, Starboy featured names like Kendrick Lamar and Future, debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, won a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album, and has been streamed more than seven billion times on Spotify.

But if you ask MMA fans what the term “Starboy” means to them, most will respond with the name of a former Rizin Bantamweight Champion and one of the most electrifying flyweights in the world.

That man is Manel “Starboy” Kape.

Prior to arriving in the UFC, the Angolan-Portuguese fighter had amassed a 15-4 record and achieved immense success in Japan’s leading MMA promotion. Despite a poor 0-2 start inside the Octagon, the 28-year-old has rebounded in style, bringing his promotional record to even with a pair of first-round knockouts against Ode’ Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov.

Now, with his reputation enhancing and his notoriety rising inside the cage, Kape is looking to catch up with the leading “Starboy,” and perhaps secure a meeting with him soon enough.

During a recent interview with Cageside Press, the #14-ranked flyweight assured The Weeknd that there’s no competition when it comes to the moniker, expressing a desire to meet the successful artist in a Las Vegas club down the line.

“I don’t know (when we’ll meet). I’m ready to go and love the parties here in Vegas, you know. Of course, we don’t see each other — actually, I see him in the casino one time, but let’s see if we meet one day in a club in Vegas.”

Having confirmed that the meeting of two “Starboys” in the same room doesn’t cause the universe to implode, Kape is looking to set up a proper meeting with the Canadian, something he hopes to boost the chances of with a viral knockout next time out.

“Yes, that’s gonna be the link, bro, 100%.”

If he’s to accomplish that feat, the victim will need to be Rogerio Bontorin. On June 11, Kape will be looking to secure an ascent into the flyweight top 10, as well as some attention from a certain Ontario native, at the expense of the Brazilian.

Walking out to The Weeknd and Daft Punk’s hit single “Starboy” (no rewards for guessing the album) before his next fight certainly wouldn’t harm his secondary objective…

Continue Reading Manel Kape Targets Vegas Meeting With Fellow “Starboy” The Weeknd at MMA News.