When Manel Kape is at his best, he looks like he could be the best flyweight on the planet -- and he was certainly at his best Saturday in Las Vegas.
Kape (21-7) dominated Asu Almabayev (21-3) in a third-round TKO stoppage in the main event of UFC Fight Night inside the Apex. Kape finished the 125-pound contest at the 2:16 mark, as Almabayev began to run away from him in an effort to stop the damage he'd been taking. It was Almabayev's first loss in 18 appearances, dating back to 2017.
"Guys, who is next against me?" Kape said. "They're gonna deny again, my title shot? [UFC], you know I'm the best. I just stopped a guy with a 17-fight win streak. Everybody was scared to fight him because he's a wrestler. You guys thought I was scared to fight him because he's a wrestler. I can wrestle and stand with anyone in this division. I'm the best. I'm the Starboy."
The victory could earn Kape the first title shot of his UFC career, which began in 2021. He made his UFC debut against current champion Alexandre Pantoja and suffered a three-round decision defeat. Pantoja went on to win the belt in 2023 and is running out of viable title challengers.
Kape has a strong case for a rematch, having won six of his last seven.
According to UFC Stats, Kape outlanded Almabayev 63-40 in total strikes and was in even more control than those numbers let on. He took the center of the cage at the start of each round and consistently strung together combinations on the retreating Almabayev. Referee Mike Beltran appeared to miss several accidental eyepokes, but Kape's dominance made the missed fouls feel less relevant.
The finish came after Kape walked Almabayev to the fence and poured it on with punches and knees to the body. Kape has finished four of his most recent six wins via finish.
Pantoja (29-5) has won seven in a row and successfully defended his title three times. In addition to Kape, his most likely next title challenger would be Kai Kara-France of New Zealand.