Manchester — Manel Kape hasn’t exactly been impressed with young flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokaev, who he faces this weekend at UFC 304 in Manchester.
“I have to put Mokaev in his place. In my opinion, I think it’s too early for him, but we will see,” Kape (19-6), a former RIZIN bantamweight champ, stated during this week’s UFC 304 media day.
Expanding on that belief, Kape added that “there is levels to this game. He never faced a championship caliber [opponent], and I see a lot of mistakes in his game. This is why I say, it’s too early for him.”
Mokaev, it should be noted, has yet to taste defeat as a pro; the same can be said of his amateur run. He has not, however, competed for a title at any level since making his pro debut.
Kape also reacted to flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja saying he wanted to see more out of Mokaev. “Pantoja can say a lot of things [about] him, because they trained before, together. I know Pantoja’s been submitting him a lot, he made him tap a lot. That’s the reason Mokaev don’t go [for] more training at ATT [American Top Team].”
Still, at the end of the day, Kape was willing to give Mokaev some credit. Sort of.
“Actually, he’s been doing a good job. He’s been winning all the fights, but there’s been a lot of mistakes,” Kape went on to say. “He’s been struggling a lot. A lot of mistakes that, if he faced someone on top three of UFC ranked flyweights, he’s gonna get finished. It’s going to be fun.”
As for the possibility of a title shot should he defeat Mokaev, Manel Kape suggested that “there isn’t any other fighter that is on the level to fight against Pantoja if not me.”
Watch the full UFC 304 media day appearance by Manel Kape above.
