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Manel Kape made a statement at UFC Vegas 103, delivering a dominant performance against Asu Almabayev that left no doubt about his championship aspirations. The flyweight contender unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes that forced Almabayev to retreat, culminating in a third-round TKO stoppage at 2:16. With the victory, Kape extended his record to 6-1 in his last seven fights, positioning himself for a long-awaited shot at UFC gold.
From the opening bell, Kape displayed superior speed and striking, keeping Almabayev on the defensive while staying prepared for any takedown attempts. The Angolan star attacked from multiple angles, using feints and combinations to keep Almabayev guessing. Late in the first round, Kape connected with a devastating right hand, opening a cut near Almabayev’s left eye, a sign of things to come.
Despite Almabayev’s resilience, his attempts to trade punches were met with calculated counters from Kape, who showed no signs of slowing down. The constant pressure left Almabayev without an answer, and as he struggled to evade further punishment, Kape chased him across the octagon, unloading a flurry of punches. Referee Mike Beltran had seen enough and stepped in to stop the fight, preventing Almabayev from taking additional damage.
A fired-up Kape wasted no time in calling out the division’s top names, making it clear that he believes he deserves the next title shot.
“Who is next? Who is next against me?” Kape roared in his post-fight interview. “They’re going to deny again my title shot? Hey Hunter [Campbell], you know I’m the best. I just stopped a guy with a 17 [fight] win streak. Everybody was scared to fight him. You guys really thought that I’m scared to fight him because he’s a wrestler? I can wrestle, I can stand with anyone in this division. I’m the best. I’m the star boy."
With reigning UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja rumored to face Kai Kara-France next, Kape could be the dangerous challenger waiting for the winner. Given his explosive performances and growing momentum, denying him a shot at gold may no longer be an option.