Manel “Starboy” Kape (15-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Flyweight (125lbs): 1-0 (RIZIN), 1-2 (UFC), Missed weight 1x in UFC
Catchweight (127-130lbs): 1-2 (RIZIN)
Bantamweight (135lbs): 4-1 (RIZIN)
Manel Kape is a veteran of the Japan-based RIZIN FF promotion where he fought from predominantly between 127 to 135lbs.
Kape saw the majority of his success with RIZIN while in the bantamweight division. Kape finished former UFC fighter Ian McCall (who fought longtime UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson to a draw) and Kai Asakura (who finished Bellator and RIZIN Champion Kyoji Horiguchi)
However, as so many fighters do, when Kape came to the UFC, he dropped down a weight class to the flyweight division.
After being unsuccessful in back-to-back competitive fights, Kape finally got his first win in the octagon in his most recent fight. Kape KO’d Ode Osbourne back in March with a flying knee in the very first round. Unfortunately for Manel, he had weighted in at 129lbs the previous day, which definitely made the fight result bitter-sweet
Kape (5’5″, 68″) has a muscular build and a wrestling background and at 28 years old, is beginning to experience the effect of his metabolism slowing down. This by no means indicates Kape will miss weight again but he will definitely be a fighter to watch on the scales and in the octagon as he continues to fight at 125lbs.
