TLDR
- Manel Kape claims he will make a fight with champion Joshua Van look easy after Van’s UFC 331 victory
- Kape is ranked No. 2 at flyweight with a 23-7 record and four straight knockout wins
- Van successfully defended his title against Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision on September 19
- Van revealed he suffered a shoulder injury during his camp that limited his sparring
- Brandon Royval and Asu Almabayev are also in the mix as potential title challengers
Sources: yardbarker.com | sherdog.com | mmasucka.com
Manel Kape has declared he will make a fight with UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van look effortless, positioning himself as the top contender for the 125-pound title.
Van successfully defended his championship at UFC 331 on September 19, defeating Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The victory improved Van’s professional record to 18-2 and marked his second title defense.
Kape took to social media following the fight to call out the champion. “The perfect style for me to paint a masterpiece,” Kape posted on X, formerly Twitter. “You’re all going to be surprised by how easy I make this fight look.”
The Angolan fighter currently holds the No. 2 ranking in the UFC flyweight division. His record stands at 23-7, with eight wins in his last nine fights.
Manel Kape's callout of Joshua VanðŸ˜
"Baby, listen very well, I'm here! Your daddy."
"Your daddy is gonna take your diapers ALIVE" pic.twitter.com/HE7Hju5dT9
— MMA On Point (@mmaonpoint) September 21, 2026
Kape’s Knockout Streak
Kape’s most recent victory came against Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 119 on June 20. He stopped Horiguchi with strikes at 2:42 of the third round, marking his fourth consecutive knockout win.
Before that, Kape knocked out Brandon Royval in the first round in December 2025. He also stopped Asu Almabayev in the third round in March 2025.
Kape averages 4.68 significant strikes landed per minute in the UFC. His statistics show 57% striking defense and 79% takedown defense, with 15 career knockouts.
At the post-fight press conference, Van addressed the possibility of fighting Kape. He said he would face anyone the UFC offers him as his next challenger.
Van revealed he suffered an AC joint injury in his right shoulder during his camp for UFC 331. “After the press conference at Philly, I tore my AC joint in my right shoulder, and I couldn’t even spar,” Van said. He added that he only sparred for the last two weeks before the fight.
Other Contenders in the Mix
Brandon Royval currently ranks No. 3 in the flyweight division. He already fought Van in June 2025, losing by unanimous decision over three rounds.
Royval bounced back from consecutive losses to Van and Kape with a third-round submission victory over Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC 329 in July 2026. The rear-naked choke finish earned Fight of the Night honors.
Asu Almabayev sits at No. 5 in the rankings. He has won his last two fights by submission, including a rare Suloev stretch against Charles Johnson in June 2026.
Johnson holds the distinction of being the only fighter to defeat Van in the UFC. Almabayev also submitted Alex Perez with a guillotine choke in November 2025.
Kape also commented on his weight cut and fight night size. He claimed he will weigh as much as 160 pounds on fight night, while Van weighed 145.8 pounds during his fight with Pantoja.
Van’s shoulder injury may delay his next title defense. The champion indicated he focused mainly on cardio during his camp due to the injury, avoiding sparring for most of his preparation.
