Manel Kape returns to the spotlight at UFC Vegas 112 on Saturday night, stepping into a high-stakes flyweight showdown with former title challenger Brandon Royval in a matchup that could thrust him into a title shot sooner than later.
Kape (21-7) Kape reflected on what was supposed to be a pivotal year, one that didn’t unfold the way he initially planned. Still, the flyweight contender insists he never lost perspective, even after a summer matchup with Royval fell through due to injury.
“I (wouldn’t) say that ‘frustrating’ is the right word because, for me, saying ‘frustrated’ is a feeling of jealousy, and I don’t have any jealous to anyone,” Kape told reporters on Wednesday
“My life is great, my career is great. I’ve achieved a lot of things. I just believe that things happen for a reason. Things just (go) the way (they) have to be. I know my time is coming.”
This is the third time Kape and Royval have been scheduled to fight. While many fighters might just want the matchup over with at this point, Kape has used the extended wait as an opportunity to study Royval even more closely.
