After UFC Main Event, Manel Kape Demands a Title Shot: “After Saturday, there will be no doubt”
Manel Kape foresees a crack at championship hold coming if he authors a strong win in this weekend’s UFC headlining clash. This main event headlines a UFC Fight Night show that serves as the promotion’s last card of the year as they go back to The Apex.
Discussing his overview of his fight this on Saturday against Brandon Royval in terms of what it could also catapult him towards, with video footage provided by MMA Junkie, Manel Kape said,
“We’ve already been scheduled to fight twice this year and it didn’t happen – one time he pulled out, one time I pulled out. Now there is no more excuse. Now we are here, face to face, and I’m thankful it happened this way because the timing is perfect. The division is hot, the belt is in the news, and this is the fight that decides who is next. I’ve won six of my last seven. Now I get Royval. After Saturday, there will be no doubt who deserves that title shot.”
“I truly believe this is the number one contender fight. What I bring to the fight, I bring quality. When I fight, I feel like I have superpowers. I’ve had to work for everything again to get back to this position and now we go to the third time trying to make this fight. Hand, knees, elbows, head – whatever it takes, I have everything to overcome his style. The winner of this fight is next up for the title. I’m the neck for the title shot. If the fight goes to the ground, I will submit him. I’m powerful, I move well, and the way I’m going to win this fight is going to be by knockout.”
Manel Kape describes Joshua Van UFC title win as an accident
Manel Kape does not rate Joshua Van too highly in the wake of his curious UFC flyweight title win over Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323. The first round TKO loss for Pantoja that came via injury less than thirty seconds in has left many wondering who the better man truly is, and Kape seems to see it that way as well.
This was expressed during a pre-fight interview with MMA Fighting, with Kape pulling out of a prior Royval booking in the summer, which led to Van replacing Kape and securing the shot at Pantoja’s title in question with a win at UFC 317 in June. Kape felt like Royval should have won that fight, but in that, he sees an opportunity to “style on” Royval and then step up to be the one to fight Van for the belt instead of Alexandre Pantoja setting up an immediate rematch.
