Manel Kape is all the way back.
Following a lackluster outing against Muhammad Mokaev in his previous outing, Kape came out with something to prove against Bruno Silva at UFC Tampa and he reminded the world why he should be considered one of the best flyweights in the sport. Kape displayed blistering speed and precision to pick Silva apart until he finally put together a combination that melted the Brazilian at 1:57 in the third round.
Manel Kape was FIRED UP after his finish at #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/GqWBUZDPNF
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2024
It was a stunning performance as Kape got back on track before cutting a memorable promo to call for a title shot against reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja.
“F*ck Kai Kara France,” Kape shouted. “F*ck [Brandon] Moreno. F*ck [Israel] Adesanya. I’m the next one against Pantoja. I’m the one who can destroy Pantoja. Dana, put me in a fight against Pantoja. I’m the new PPV star in flyweight. No one can be like me. I’m terrific. I’m the best.”
It was speed versus power from the jump with Silva coming out aggressive and looking for a knockout with every punch thrown while Kape sat back and just launched lightning quick combinations in return. The fast combinations from Kape kept Silva off balance as he was just getting stabbed in the face repeatedly with a long left jab and then a stiff right hand behind it.
As the fight moved into the second round, Kape was starting to style on Silva, taunting the Brazilian and then just unloading blistering combinations in succession. Just when it looked like Kape was setting up a potential finish, Silva landed his third low blow in the fight and this time the former RIZIN champion dropped to the canvas in understandable pain.
After taking nearly the full five minutes to recover with Silva being penalized a point for the repeated fouls, Kape came out guns blazing with hopes of scoring the knockout sooner than later.
While Kape was racking up a lot of style points, Silva knew he was in dire need of a finish or he was going to go home with a loss on his record. So Silva started the third round by dropping bombs and he connected with a couple of shots that definitely got Kape’s attention.
Still, Kape handled the pressure well and started firing back with surgical precision with Silva just getting chewed up on the feet. Finally, Kape launched a body kick that stung Silva and sent him retreating towards the cage.
Kape seized on the opening with a barrage of punches that crumbled Silva with referee Keith Peterson rushing in for the stoppage.
While he’s definitely had some ups and downs in the octagon, Kape showed why he’s usually must-see television whenever he fights. It remains to be seen if his title fight callout works but Kape at least put his name in contention with his win on Saturday.
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