Athletes
Manel Kape Out To Make His Championship Case
‘Starboy’ Sees Finish Over Brandon Royval As Ticket To Title Opportunity
“Hopefully, by the end of the year, I have the belt. This is what I see, this is my goal, and this is what I’ve been working towards for a long time.”
That is what Manel Kape told me five years ago ahead of his UFC debut, and what the 32-year-old flyweight standout has been working towards each year since. But Kape’s UFC journey has been anything but straightforward, with his main event pairing with Brandon Royval this weekend to close out the UFC’s 2025 campaign feeling like a perfect encapsulation of how things have played out for the talented “Starboy.”
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“Of course, my expectation was quite different at the start, at the beginning, but I think things are going well,” Kape said, reflecting on his ambitious outlook from the outset of his UFC run, which began with consecutive decision losses to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau. “I figured out the puzzles, the issues I had in the beginning and right now, I can tell I’m in a good spot.
“I learned that I have to take care of things one by one and let things flow, and everything is going to be a consequence of my work,” continued the flyweight contender. “I predicted many times in different years that I’m gonna be the champion, and then every year, some things go not the way I want, but the way that God wants.
“I truly believe right now I can tell that after this Saturday, I’ll be (closer) to my dream.”
A top ten matchup 😤
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Accepting the various hurdles that have been placed in front of him as part of God’s plan is impressive because there have been copious obstacles set in front of him over his five-year stint competing at this level.
Before he stepped into the Octagon for the first time, Kape had two fights fall out, and then, after logging for appearances in 2021, two more bouts went by the boards before he stepped in with David Dvorak at the end of 2022 with another two being scuttled prior to his facing off with short-notice replacement Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293 after Kai Kara-France was forced out due to an injury a couple weeks prior to the bout.
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He logged a pair of appearances in 2024, but only after two attempts to run it back with Nicolau failed to materialize. And then there is this weekend’s fight with Royval, which is the third time this year the duo has been pencilled in to share the Octagon.
First booked to headline an event at the UFC APEX on March 1, Royval was forced out and replaced by Asu Almabayev, with Kape securing a victory over the ranked fighter from Kazakhstan. They were re-booked to square off in June as part of the UFC 317 pay-per-view main card, but then it was Kape’s turn to withdraw, leaving Royval to take on Joshua Van, who scored a unanimous decision win on his way to fighting for and then winning the title last weekend.
Manel Kape | Don't Be Surprised
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Manel Kape | Don't Be Surprised
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“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Kape said with a laugh when asked about being ready to stop preparing to face Royval and actually face him in the Octagon. “This is the moment, if nothing happens —if it’s not slippery in any stairwell or in the street, but I think we are in a moment where we meet each other in the Octagon. I think he’s gonna be there, but nobody knows.
“We’re even, let’s shake hands and let’s go.
FULL FIGHTS: Royval vs Taira | Kape vs Almabayev
“I think this is what builds a fighter (mentally; helps them) to be prepared for the big blast that’s coming,” he continued, reflecting on the sizable list of cancellations and opponent switches that have defined his tenure to date. “I believe this is part of my story and the journey that is gonna make it (beautiful in the end).
“People are gonna talk about ‘look at the obstacles this guy has (faced), and he’s still pushing hard, still training hard, and he’s still motivated, speaking positive things and still believing in himself, in his career, and the gold is coming.’
“I believe it’s great to have this narrative to in my career so I can build a story, not just become a champion out of nowhere, that has no story. I believe this is part of my career and part of being great.”
Full Fight | Manel Kape vs Asu Almabayev
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Full Fight | Manel Kape vs Asu Almabayev
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Odd as this may sound, the fact that Kape and Royval ended up landing as the final UFC bout of 2025 is timely, given that last weekend produced a seismic shift in the 125-pound weight class. Not only did Van round out his breakout campaign by ascending to the throne, but earlier in the evening, Japanese prospect Tatsuro Taira scored a second-round stoppage win over two-time former champ Brandon Moreno, shaking up the rankings in the process.
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With the timetable for Pantoja’s return still uncertain and Taira currently positioned as the clubhouse leader in the championship chase, Kape believes that a dominant effort this weekend to close out the year will be enough to catapult him to the front of the list of contenders in the 125-pound weight class.
“This victory Saturday night puts me in a great spot, in a great place,” he said. “I believe Brandon Royval is a great opponent. I don’t overlook anybody, but I believe I’m the best. I will prove that I’m a better athlete, I’m more complete, and I’ll be comfortable in every area I compete with him.
“After the win, it has to be the title; there is no one and no doubt. I will finish Brandon Royval and be the next.”
UFC fight Night: Royval vs Kape took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 13, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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