Joaquin Buckley

This was by far the biggest fight of Buckley’s career thus far, and the lights weren’t too bright for him. In his first ever main event, “New Mansa” extended his win streak to six with a third-round doctor’s stoppage over Colby Covington. This win should push him near, or maybe even inside the top5 in the next rankings update.

In his post-fight interview, Buckley called out three names and let the audience decide his next opponent via an “applause-o-meter.” Of the three names he called out, champion Belal Muhammad makes the least amount of sense unless Shavkat Rakhmonov is out for a prolonged period. The other two were former champions Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. Edwards, who is said to headline the London Fight Night card on March 22, needs an opponent. Buckley has been active and wants it to remain that way, so a turnaround in late March shouldn’t be too quick for him, considering he took a negligible amount of damage from Covington.

Buckley’s next fight: Leon Edwards

Cub Swanson

“Killer” Cub’s stunning one hitter quitter KO over Billy Quarantillo in the UFC Tampa co-main was reminiscent of Robbie Lawler’s KO of Niko Price in his retirement fight. It has to be one of the better ways a fighter can dream to retire… if he does retire. The long-time veteran and fan-favourite Swanson has been hinting at an imminent retirement for his last few fights but seemed reluctant to fully commit to it. This Saturday was no different as he refused to take off his gloves and make it official.

If he does have one more in him, there is an age-appropriate matchup out there for him. Swanson has called for a fight with Urijah Faber in the past and Faber seemed up for it. He may be 45 and without a fight booked since 2019, but Faber has been staying in shape with some grappling matches here and there, including two this year. Plus, the UFC still has him listed as an “active” fighter on their roster.

Let the man with the “SoCal” tattoo on his chest fight “The California Kid” and let’s do it in California.

Swanson’s next fight: Urijah Faber

Manel Kape

“Starboy” lived up to his nickname and put on his best performance yet in the UFC on Saturday. He styled on Bruno Silva for two rounds before putting him away in the third despite taking multiple low blows. He then called for a title shot, hoping this performance would launch to the top of queue. With the blurry title picture at flyweight, he’s probably just one more fight away from it.

However, he’s still just one fight removed from the very disappointing Muhammad Mokaev bout. Also, with Deiveison Figueiredo now looking to throw his name into the hat, 125 might have more options than we thought.

Kai Kara-France is also right there with Kape as contenders next line. They were once booked against each other, there is bad blood, and the fight now makes more sense than ever. Let them go at it to determine which of the two really deserve their crack at the title.

Kape’s next fight: Kai Kara-France

Dustin Jacoby

In a fight that had the fans booing due to its lack of action, Dustin Jacoby put Vitor Petrino out cold at UFC Tampa with a right hand very similar to the one Kamaru Usman slept Jorge Masvidal with. This type of win was just what the doctor ordered for Jacoby who had lost his previous two fights and came into this one 1-4 in his last 5.

In terms of rankings and meritocracy, the winner of Ion Cutelaba and Ibo Aslan in Seattle makes a lot of sense. Selfishly, I’d like to see Jacoby face Artem Vakhitov. Both are former Glory kickboxers but have never faced each other. Vakhitov is most known for being the last person to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing. If the UFC is looking to replicate the storyline that they created between Pereira and Israel Adesanya, giving Vakhitov a debut against a kickboxer right outside the rankings might not be a bad idea.

Jacoby’s next fight: Artem Vakhitov

Daniel Marcos

Despite Marcos’ four UFC wins, a split decision over Adrian Yanez at UFC Tampa might not be enough to get him a ranked opponent due to how stacked with talent the division is. The undefeated Marcos turns 32 in March and I consider Yanez a quality win, so I’m willing to throw him against ranked opposition.

Kyler Phillips hit a roadblock against Rob Font this past October, so it would make sense for him to face someone outside the rankings. Thus, Marcos is a sensible opponent and the matchup itself should make an entertaining fight.

Marcos’ next fight: Kyler Phillips

Navajo Stirling

Navajo Stirling closed as a near 10-to-1 betting favourite and while he did show some promise, he also showed he is still very green. At 6-0 and after just turning 27 in November, there is a case to be made that he maybe shouldn’t be in the UFC this early into his career. Though, being this young at light-heavyweight isn’t the end the world since heavier weight classes tend to age slowly. The promotion should be in no hurry to push him up the ladder.

With Stirling firmly in the UFC, he should be matchmade for as if he were still on the regional scene.  When Carlos Ulberg, another City Kickboxing product, lost his debut, the UFC spent his next five fights matching him up against the lower tier of the division. Tuco Tokkos was a perfect opponent for his debut, and Ozzy Diaz is exactly the type of opponent Stirling should get next.

Stirling’s next fight: Ozzy Diaz

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Heading into 2025, where will the losing side of the card go? Let’s do a little matchmaking.

Colby Covington

Joaquin Buckley styled on Colby Covington for three rounds in the main event of UFC Tampa before the fight was stopped due to a cut above Colby’s eye. Covington entered the fight ranked generously at #6 in the welterweight division while Buckley was ranked at #9. Covington has now lost three of his last four fights and not competed more than once in a calendar year since 2019.

That should likely be it for Covington with favorable fights at the top of the division. Colby should draw someone outside of the top 10 if not someone of the fringe of being ranked. A matchup with Stephen Thompson would fit the bill perfectly. Wonderboy has also lost three of his last four fights and is currently ranked at #11. Stephen’s last fight was also against Buckley, and he was also stopped, back in October. Classic striker versus grappler matchup for two aging former welterweight title contenders. The winner of that fight would be in a position to call for what they wanted, within reason, maybe a crack at the top ten.

Colby’s next fight: Stephen Thompson 

Billy Quarantillo

Billy Quarantillo put up a gutsy performance before getting starched late in the final round of his fight with Cub Swanson. The barn burner of a fight won Fight of the Night honors, which is rare for a fight that didn’t go the distance.

Quarantillo looked good until he didn’t, and it was a fun fight, so the loss doesn’t hurt his stock too much. However, Billy has lost three of his last four fights all by stoppage.

Moving forward, Billy Q. should fight Gabriel Miranda in his next fight. Miranda and Quarantillo were scheduled to fight each other in March before Miranda withdrew. Gabriel went on to fight Morgan Charriere on UFC Paris main card in September. Charriere would earn a performance bonus that night for his KO of Miranda. So let’s rebook two fighters brutally stopped in their last fights, that are almost always in exciting fights that often don’t go the distance.

Billy’s next fight: Gabriel Miranda

Bruno Silva

Bruno Silva was outclassed by Manel Kape in a three round fight at UFC Tampa that saw him stopped in the final round. Silva put up a gutsy performance, but it definitely marked the arrival of one Manel Kape. Bruno entered the fight ranked at #12 in the UFC’s flyweight division while his opponent was ranked at #9.

Silva should get some another striking heavy matchup in his next bout. #15 ranked Joshua Van would be a perfect fight for Silva. Van is 5-1 in the UFC so far only having lost to Charles Johnson in July. Joshua fought at UFC 310 and secured one of the biggest victories of his career via a unanimous decision over Cody Durden. Known for his powerful boxing and aggressive style, Joshua Van would make a perfect opponent for Silva in his next bout.

Bruno’s next fight: Joshua Van

Vitor Petrino

Vitor Petrino suffered another horrible loss on Saturday night when Dustin Jacoby flatlined him late in their fight. Petrino has now been finished twice in a row after Anthony Smith choked him out back in May. To make matters even worse, Petrino is now even farther away from a ranking, and this is the first time he’s ever been KO’d.

Petrino’s next fight should be against the winner of Ibo Aslan vs. Ion Cutelaba. That fight is slated to go down on February 22, 2025. Cutelaba is a tenured UFC vet that has won two of his last three following a three-fight skid. Aslan is a 2023 Contender Series product who is 14-1 as a pro and 2-0 in the UFC. He has finished both his opponents including undefeated, Raffael Cerqueira in his last fight at UFC 308. Either fighter would be a dangerous matchup for Petrino and a fun striking bout to watch for fans. And the winner of the bout would maybe be a fight away from being ranked especially if it ends in a stoppage.

Vitor’s next fight: Ibo Aslan vs. Ion Cutelaba winner

Adrian Yanez

Adrian Yanez dropped a close split decision to the undefeated Daniel Marcos on the main card of UFC Tampa on Saturday. Yanez and Marcos put on a stellar performance but ultimately Adrian was on the wrong side of the decision. Yanez has now lost three of his last four fights. It’s been a tough stretch for the 2020 Contender Series product who got off to a hot start with the promotion, scoring five wins and bonus in his first five appearances.

Yanez is no longer ranked, and unfortunately for him, this loss puts him further away from being such. Adrian should fight Ricky Simon in his next bout. Ricky has three of his last four fights. Simon was last in the cage opposite of Vinicius Oliveira on UFC 303 in June. Simon is a tall task as he is durable and always brings a solid gameplan to his fights. Yanez was close to winning against Marcos and thanks to his exciting fight style and potential, he’s a fighter that should get more than one chance at moving up.

Adrian’s next fight: Ricky Simon

Tuco Tokkos

Tuco Tokkos was defeated via unanimous decision by the undefeated Navajo Stirling to kick off the UFC Tampa main card. Tokkos lost his UFC debut to Oumar Sy in May when he was submitted by rear naked choke in the first round. Even though light heavyweight is shallow in the UFC, Tuco needs a win desperately in his next fight.

Tuco should next fight the loser of Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes. That fight goes down on January the 11, the first UFC card of 2025. Magomed is an undefeated 9-0, 2023 Contender Series product. Gadzhiyasulov fought Brendson Ribeiro to a majority draw in his promotional debut back in June. Bruno Lopes is 11-1 is a two-time Contender Series fighter. Lopes lost toe Brendson Ribeiro in his first DWCS bout before winning and securing a victory in this past season against Mikheil Sazhiniani. All three of these guys have around the same number of fights and experience levels. The loser of that fight would definitely be in jeopardy of getting cut or fighting for their spot on the roster.

Tuco’s next fight: Loser of Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes

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“I don’t feel any kind of pleasure by taking anybody’s record down, and less with this fight because she’s my friend,” Rodriguez (10-2) told Cageside Press and other media outlets backstage at the Amalie Arena in Tampa following the fight. Piera claimed a decision win in a bloody, active affair on the night’s preliminary card. “For the people that don’t know, I worked with Josefine like two years ago. I went to her gym because I didn’t have a visa to come to the U.S. So I’m very, very grateful to Josefine and her team, because they let me sleep in the gym. They gave me a room there.”

“It was actually hard for me to take the undefeated record from her, but I know how this business is, and it was her or me. I was two losses down, so I couldn’t go home with a loss again,” added Rodriguez, now 3-2 in the UFC.

What Piera Rodriguez does take pleasure in is representing her home country of Venezuela. Several hours prior to her fight, Rodriguez had posted a message to her fans back home, thanking them for their support.

“It’s very special for me to represent Venezuela, because we’ve been going through a lot, and I feel we need some help from the other countries, we need some help from the world. At least from other countries to see what is happening in my country. It’s important for me. So every time I can put my flag on and I can lift it up, it’s a very special moment for me.”

Watch the full UFC Tampa post-fight press conference with Piera Rodriguez above.

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“Worst victory I’ve ever gotten, worst performance I’ve ever done as far as still pulling out the win,” she told media outlets following a decision victory over the Canadian. “Just didn’t really pull out what I’ve got in there.”

Maverick (15-5) struggled to get takedowns early, had to contend with some borderline illegal elbows, and at times wound up on her own back against the lanky Canuck. Still, she came away with the W, and that counts for something.

“I’m very disappointed in my performance. I’m better than what I was. At the end of the day, a win is a win. I get paid for the win the way that I need to, hopefully re-negotiate and get higher up the ladder.”

To be fair, Maverick was not supposed to be fighting Jamey-Lyn Horth in Tampa. Her original match-up was Tracy Cortez, who pulled out of their booking, and not for the first time. Apparently done with the Cortez match-up, Miranda Maverick is now eyeing a fight with ex-strawweight champ Jessica Andrade.

“I was supposed to have a ranked opponent this time, I still want a ranked opponent next. I’d love to fight Jessica Andrade in April. She’s inspired me a lot through this journey,” Maverick stated. “Nobody in the top 15 to 10 wanted to fight me this time when Tracy[Cortez] dropped out. They had a five week notice and wanted to call it short-notice. So I want to keep moving up. I know this wasn’t the performance to really put a stamp on that, I’m really frustrated in how I did. But we all have flat days, and I’m blessed that on my flat day, I still pulled out a win.”

Maverick felt let down by every facet of her game against Horth. “I didn’t show my evolution. I showed low-volume, I showed low-fight IQ. Just wasn’t me.”

Still, it’s “up and onward” from here, added Maverick, who hopes to renew her UFC deal ahead of the final fight on her contract. Beyond that, she still has adoption to look forward to — as soon as Tuesday, Maverick and her husband will begin matching with expectant mothers, with the hope to expand her family next year.

How will fighting look as a mom remains to be seen, but Maverick isn’t expecting to take a ton of time off to adjust.

“That will always be my priority, is motherhood once this happens. But I won’t be taking much time off. Obviously if I go and get the kid and it’s two weeks before a fight, we’re going to have to figure something out. But I’ll try to be smart with it all, prioritize the way I always have.” Maverick is now stranger to juggling a full plate, of course. She has a full time job, and runs several business ventures, primarily Prowler Pickles and High Stakes Honey. “I’m sure I can work in this and adjust my priorities in life the same.”

Watch the full UFC Tampa post-fight press conference with Miranda Maverick above.

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Paired up with Ramon Taveras in an exciting bantamweight match-up at UFC Tampa on Saturday, Grant (16-7) came away a little banged up, but ultimately victorious care of a unanimous decision win.

Those bumps and bruises, clearly written across Grant’s face, are likely nothing compared to the decade’s worth of neck pain he’s endured. Speaking with media outlets backstage at the Amalie Arena in Tampa following his latest win, Grant revealed just how serious that neck injury was, and the threat it had posed to his career.

“I’ve been struggling with it for around 10 years now. I keep getting injections in it to just mask the pain. I think it just took its toll, and one of the discs had jammed into the spinal cord. I had to get the disc removed, and two of the vertebrae fused together.”

It could have been much worse. “The doctor said if it was anyone else, the discs in my neck are that bad, he would just fuse three together, but then I would never fight again. He said that’s what he wanted to do. I said ‘look, that’s not an option. Can you not just do less?'”

The doctor agreed to do a single level of fusion, even though Grant needed three. But according to the veteran fighter, things felt “brilliant” once the procedure was done.

“Honest, as soon as I woke up from the operation, the pain had gone, that I had been struggling with for maybe 10 years. Up and down, but yeah it was, it was absolutely brilliant as soon as I got it done to be fair.”

Grant and Taveras might have been in the running for a Fight of the Night bonuses at UFC Tampa, until Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo came along. Still, Grant is no stranger to post-fight bonuses, and outlined their importance to a fighter who isn’t headlining, or cashing in on Pay-Per-View points.

“It’s definitely life-changing. It’s nice to be able to go and treat my family and stuff like that. That’s why I’ve managed to bring them all over to Florida and go to Disneyland and things like that,” said Grant. “Because that’s why I do it, I do it for them. Fighting, it’s not my most important job. My most important job is being a good father, and being a good husband, and then fighting’s third. But the money I make off fighting sort of helps me do a lot of things with my family, and that’s why I do it.”

Watch the full UFC Tampa post-fight press conference with Davey Grant above.

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Around 2AM local time, Buckley (21-6) walked into the media room, took to the mic, and issued a statement off the opening question, rather than fielding queries from reporters. Many of whom were fading after a long, though entertaining, night of fights.

“My first main event was a big success. I feel like the whole card was very successful, getting a lot of knockouts,” stated Buckley, addressing outlets including Cageside Press. “I feel like my fight shouldn’t have been stopped, but it is what it is, you’ve got to protect the fighters.”

“I feel like 2025 is definitely my year, and we’re definitely taking over. With this being said, on a six fight winning streak, I’ve got eight knockouts within the UFC. I feel like I hadn’t done enough to really put myself in a position to, yet again, fight for that title. Even though I know Shavkat is next, blessed to that fight, but if anything happens to where Shavkat or Belal doesn’t step up into the octagon, I’m willing to face them.”

“At the end of the day, we’re going to keep this nice and short, bro,” Buckley finished. “I’m definitely looking to take that throne. 2025. We’re out baby. Thank you.”

Mic drop. Buckley looked superb against Colby Covington, dominating the former interim champ and opening up the cut that stopped the fight. He would later poll fans at the Amalie Arena, asking which, between Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, and champ Belal Muhammad he should fight next.

Usman took the vote by a slim margin, and as Dana White noted in his own press conference appearance, the fight “doesn’t suck.”

Watch the full UFC Tampa post-fight press conference with Joaquin Buckley above.

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On the night’s main event, which ended early due to a cut sustained by welterweight Colby Covington (giving Joaquin Buckley his sixth consecutive victory), White suggested that in another locale, the bout would have continued.

“I was curious to see how it would go if it went five rounds, if it went later in the rounds. No doubt that was a bad cut, but that cut doesn’t get stopped in Vegas. That fight keeps going in Vegas.”

The cut, White added, was certainly bothering Covington, though he would later dispute the notion that the former interim champ was looking for a way out. “It was definitely bothering him. And literally, as soon as the corner would fix it, he’s waiting to walk out and he rips it open again and makes it start bleeding again. So that alone tells you that the cut was bothering him big time.”

Post-fight, Joaquin Buckley polled fans in Tampa as to who he should fight next: Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, or champ Belal Muhammad. By a slim margin, Usman appeared to be the crowd’s choice.

“Usman’s one of the best ever,” noted White, who said he hadn’t heard Buckley’s rather unique callout. “That fight doesn’t suck.”

White was less bullish on flyweight star Manel Kape getting a shot at Alexandre Pantoja. Despite campaigning heavily for a chance at gold, White dismissed the notion.

“No, he’s not getting a title shot. But we’ll definitely get him what he’s looking for.”

White told Cageside Press that he hadn’t heard of Michael Chandler calling for a fight with Covington at 170lbs, and was non-committal to the idea. He did light up when Michael Johnson’s knockout of Ottman Azaitar was brought up.

“Listen, tell me the last Michael Johnson fight that sucked. That guy came out in the first round guns a’blazing, he always tries to win, he’s a fun guy to watch,” exclaimed White. “Been here a long time, and I’m happy for him.”

As for 2025, Seattle has already been announced, and the UFC is currently working on a date in Brazil, White confirmed. Spain remains a goal as well, with White preferring to put on a Pay-Per-View card for the promotion’s Spanish debut, rather than a Fight Night. There’s more on tap as well. A surprise of some sort, it seems.

“I’ve got something in the works right now, I’ll drive you f*ckers crazy. All you guys will be running around,” teased White. “I’ve got something in the works that you will never see coming for 2025, that literally started to come together last night. We’ve got some fun stuff coming up.”

Watch the full UFC Tampa post-fight press conference with Dana White above.

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The event at the Amalie Arena on Saturday produced plenty of explosive finishes, with several fighters turning back the clock. Among them, co-main event featherweight “Killer” Cub Swanson, who landed a punishing 1-2 combo on the considerably younger Billy Quarantillo. At age 41, Swanson proved he still has a few tricks up his sleeve and gas in the tank. It may still be the final time fans see Swanson compete, however: the former WEC star admitted after the bout that he had told his wife it “might” be his last one.

Swanson was non-committal backstage, and did not leave his gloves in the octagon. If it does turn out to be his last hurrah, he certainly went out on a high note.

For the win, and thrilling contest before the finish, Swanson along with Quarantillo earned Fight of the Night honors.

At 38, Michael Johnson is no spring chicken either. Like Swanson, however, he defied father time on Saturday, landing a blistering knockout on Ottman Azaitar to claim a Performance of the Night bonus.

The other Performance of the Night at UFC Tampa was awarded to Dustin Jacoby, who snapped a two-fight skid by starching fearsome light heavyweight Vitor Petrino.

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Covington was stepping in to replace Ian Machado Garry, who had shifted to UFC 310 last week in a fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov. With Covington, came his usual brand of “Chaos,” a nickname that he has grown into thanks to the deluge of trash talk he tends to unleash ahead of every fight. This time out, it was P. Diddy allegations lodged at NBA star LeBron James, and terrorist references lobbed towards welterweight champ Belal Muhammad.

On Buckley, Covington was perhaps unusually quiet; he even brought Chael Sonnen with him to the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday, letting one of the sport’s best talkers take to the mic for him. Sonnen opted to stick to fight hype, perhaps saving Covington from further embarrassment. Covington, who had hyped up his entrance during fight week, walked out with Sonnen and Hulk Hogan carrying an American flag by his side.

Buckley came out putting immediate pressure and establishing his jab early. He landed a nice low kick to one-two combination. The first takedown attempt from Colby was easily stuffed. A cut on Covington’s right eye lid clearly started to bother him. Buckley took advantage and threw more combinations coming forward. They were both throwing looping shots, but Buckley was getting the better of these exchanges. Covington shot a double-leg, switched to single-leg, but Buckley completely outmuscled him. He then caught Covington mid-headkick with a right hook and ends the round landing ground-and-pound.

Buckley sprawled on another takedown attempt and landed a good knee to the body on his way up in the early moments of round 2. He kept attacking Colby’s body with hooks, preventing him from pushing his usual pace. Fourth time was the charm for Covington as he finally got Buckley to the ground and took side control. Buckley tried to get to a hip and post on one arm, but Colby did a good job of controlling his wrists to take away his balance. Buckley eventually did get back up and got back to winning the striking battle as Colby’s cut was clearly hampering his ability to see oncoming strikes. A more competitive five minutes, but based on damage, a Buckley round nonetheless.

As the third round was about to start, we could hear the octagon-side doctor telling referee Dan Miragliotta to keep a close look at the cut over Covington’s right eye. The round started with an immediate telegraphed takedown attempt from “Chaos” that was easily seen from far away. Buckley kept mixing up body and head strikes and the accumulation grounded Covington.

Buckley got full mount, but not for long as Colby got back to his feet. By this point Covington’s face is a complete mess and since the blood is evidently obstructing his view, Buckley cannot miss with his punches. The fight got the ground again and Buckley got top position, but an ill-advised back take attempt resulted in an unusual triangle attempt from him that Covington got out of. With Colby on top and Buckley accepting full guard, Colby landed little ground-and-pound shots trying to grind away at Buckley’s gas tank. Once Buckley got to the fence and got back up, referee Dan Miragliotta called time for the doctor to take a closer look at Covington’s cut. The doctor advised Miragliotta to stop it, and he did.

Doctor stoppages often feel anti-climactic, but with a cut on the eye lid that was obviously having a big effect on the fight, it was a justified stoppage.

Official Result: Joaquin Buckley def. Colby Covington by Doctor’s Stoppage (Round 3, 4:42)

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Silva had won four straight, landing himself the #12 spot in the rankings. Kape, who saw his own four-fight win streak snapped against Mokaev, was sitting at #9. And with the champion Alexandre Pantoja looking for contenders, both fighters could inch that much closer to a title shot with a great performance here.

Silva was switching stances constantly, but Kape didn’t care and fired low kicks at both legs. This was one of the very few matchups where Silva wasn’t at a speed advantage, and Kape let him know as he kept showboating after shot Silva missed. Silva landed a nice right hand, but a low blow forced a quick stop in the action. Kape was landing two shots for every one that Silva did. Another low blow from “Bulldog”, this one worse than the first, forced another break, but no points were taken. The round ended with Silva going back to his corner with a bloodied nose, down 10-9.

Kape built on his work from the opening round and was pulling away early in the second, but ate a big shot from Silva as he was showboating again. A third low blow from the Brazilian had Kape grimacing in pain on the ground and Keith Peterson took away a point. As the action resumed, Kape feigned as if he was still hurt, inviting desperate swings from Silva who now undoubtedly needed a finish. Kape was landing every combination he was throwing and started to showboat even more. It got to the point where he took a knee right in front of Silva, daring him to fire away. He lived up to his nickname “Starboy” as he was giving the fans a great show of skill.

Round 3 opened with Silva going for broke and landing some massive shots on Kape that he somehow just ate. The desperation out of Silva had Kape staying serious and stop the showboating. Kape noticed Silva taking big breaths between exchanges and attacked the body. A kick that appeared to graze Silva’s cup forced him to retreat. Kape, smelling blood, pounced on a compromised Silva to close out the show.

This might have been the best performance from Kape in the UFC considering the level of competition and the nice run Bruno Silva was on. He called for a rematch with the champion Pantoja and time will tell whether he will get it or not.

In his post-fight interview Kape went off on Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France, Alexandre Pantoja and even Israel Adesanya.

Official Result: Manel Kape def. Bruno Silva by TKO (Round 3, 1:57)

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