UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape didn’t know what to expect from his first dip into the grappling world.
Manel Kape‘s MMA success across multiple prominent promotions is mostly due to his elite striking and one-punch knockout power. But to compete with the best in the world, Kape had to master the fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but it wasn’t a straight and narrow path.
Kape will look to stop Asu Almabayev‘s 17-fight winning streak this weekend in the UFC Vegas 103 main event. This is Kape’s first career UFC main event after wins in five of his previous six fights.
To hand Almabayev his lone UFC setback this weekend at UFC Vegas 103, Kape may need to utilize a well-rounded style. Kape’s process of learning grappling featured a dramatic change from his initial impressions of BJJ.
Manel Kape shares his seven-word first impression of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training
Kape’s family roots are in boxing, after his father won a world title earlier in Manel’s life. Kape’s parents initially didn’t support his MMA ambitions, attempting to persuade their son to pursue a soccer career, which they viewed at the time as a clearer career path.
But after Kape eventually convinced his parents to support his dreams, he had to learn the ins and outs of grappling to go along with his strong boxing base. When Kape was a teenager, his BJJ-training best friend persuaded him to end his grappling ignorance.
In a recent appearance on the MightyCast podcast, Kape explained his warped view of BJJ before hitting the mats.
“I thought this was some gay stuff,” Kape said. (h/t Home Of Fight)
Kape’s perception quickly changed as he understood the importance of grappling, even from a fundamental standpoint, when beginning an MMA career. His first roll created an obsession to learn the ground-angle of MMA, which ended up propelling his current run of success in the cage.
Manel Kape could leap into title shot debate with UFC Vegas 103 victory
Kape has a lot on the line this weekend at UFC Vegas 103. After an impressive win over Bruno Silva at UFC Tampa in December, Kape moved one step closer to a potential rematch with UFC flyweight titleholder Alexandre Pantoja for the belt.
Kape was originally supposed to face Brandon Royval at UFC Vegas 103 before Royval withdrew due to health issues. He also holds a win over the most recent flyweight title challenger, Kai Asakura, during their stints in Rizin.
Almabayev will look to continue his surge up the flyweight ladder this weekend after taking the short-notice bout against Kape. Almabayev most recently earned wins over Matheus Nicolau and Jose Johnson.
If Kape’s fight with Almabayev hits the canvas this weekend, don’t be surprised if Kape earns his first submission victory since 2018.