Manel Kape set to face flyweight on 17-fight winning streak in new UFC Vegas 103 headliner
06/02/2025 23:56
Manel Kape won’t face a steep downgrade in competition for his UFC Vegas 103 return after Brandon Royval’s withdrawal.
UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape will face a dominant Top 15 flyweight in the UFC Vegas 103 main event as he looks to continue his climb toward a title shot.
Kape, who returns after a dominant win over Bruno Silva in December, was supposed to face former title challenger Brandon Royval in the February 15th UFC Fight Night headliner in Las Vegas. But Royval withdrew due to injury earlier this week, forcing the UFC matchmakers to act fast.
Shortly after Royval’s withdrawal, Asu Almabaev got the call to face Kape at UFC Vegas 103. Kape vs. Almabayev is the new UFC Vegas 103 main event and puts Kape against one of the flyweight division’s hottest young contenders.
Manel Kape gets a new opponent for first career UFC main event
Almabayev has won 17 fights in a row, including UFC victories over the likes of Matheus Nicolau and Jose Johnson. He’s 4-0 in his promotional tenure after a decorated stint in Brave CF garnered the attention of the UFC brass.
Kape appears in his first career UFC main event after career wins over former UFC flyweight title challenger Kai Asakura and former bantamweight standout Takeya Mizugaki. He’s won five of his last six fights overall with the lone defeat during that stretch coming against Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304.
This will arguably be the toughest test of Kape’s UFC career. Almabayev is a well-rounded flyweight with a dominant skillset, making him a headache for his opponents during his young promotional tenure.
Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev is a potential No. 1 contender fight
Kape vs. Almabayev will take place in a period of uncertainty in the UFC flyweight title picture. UFC flyweight titleholder Alexandre Pantoja, after defeating Asakura at UFC 310, is rumored to potentially face Kai Kara-France in his next title defense.
But the Kara-France fight isn’t set in stone, and the Kape vs. Almabayev winner could potentially skip the line with a standout performance at UFC Vegas 103. Most of the top flyweight contenders have already faced off with Pantoja during the Brazilian’s title reign.
Kape lost to Pantoja in Feb. 2021 by unanimous decision but has dramatically improved since their first fight. A stoppage win over Almabayev could potentially make a strong case for a rematch.
