UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape’s path to a title shot took a giant hit forward of his scheduled return at UFC 317.
Manel Kape and former UFC title challenger Brandon Royval have been set to sq. off in a No. 1 contender struggle at UFC 317 later this month. Kape and Royval are each vying for a shot towards UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, who will face Kai Kara-France within the UFC 317 co-headliner.
However weeks earlier than UFC 317, catastrophe struck in Kape’s camp. In a latest sparring session at Xtreme Couture, Kape suffered a damaged proper foot and was compelled to withdraw from the upcoming Royval struggle.
Kape, who was set to return after finishing Asu Almabayev in a principal occasion struggle earlier this yr, suffered a giant setback in his title pursuit.
Manel Kape broke his foot in sparring forward of scheduled UFC 317 return
In a latest Instagram publish, Kape addressed his followers concerning his UFC 317 withdrawal.
“I suffered a foot fracture in the course of the coaching &, after medical analysis, I used to be instructed to have surgical procedure & focus 100% on restoration,” Kape mentioned.
“It’s not straightforward to remain out of one thing I’ve been making ready for with a lot dedication, and surely this may be essentially the most advantageous struggle of my profession however I perceive that that is simply one other problem on the best way and I belief the plans that Allah has for me!”
In the identical publish, Kape shared footage of the second he broke his foot in sparring in preparation for UFC 317. You’ll be able to hear a definite ‘crunch’ sound after Kape throws a proper leg kick at his associate.
Manel Kape, lesionado 🤕
Como se puede apreciar en este video que el propio @ManelKape ha compartido, se rompió un pie entrenando y no podrá pelear el 28 de junio contra Brandon Royval
La UFC está buscando sustituto para que Royval pueda competir en dicha fecha en #UFC317 pic.twitter.com/mrhhxC0mLu
— ESPN KnockOut (@ESPNKnockOut) June 9, 2025
As of this writing, it’s unsure how lengthy Kape will likely be sidelined attributable to harm. That is the eleventh time certainly one of Kape’s UFC fights has been canceled throughout his promotional tenure.
Kape bounced again nicely with back-to-back wins since a loss to Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 final July. He knocked out Bruno Silva at UFC Tampa earlier than the principle occasion win over Almabayev.
Now, Royval will face a surging flyweight star who fought final weekend at UFC 316.
A UFC 316 star will step as much as face Brandon Royval at UFC 317
Joshua Van will step up for the injured Kape and face Royval on the UFC 317 principal card later this month. Van knocked out Silva at UFC 316 on Saturday, persevering with the 23-year-old’s fast ascent within the flyweight division.
Van, the primary Myanmar-born fighter in UFC historical past, has gained 4 fights in a row since a loss to Charles Johnson final July. He’s 7-1 in his UFC tenure with latest wins over Rei Tsuruya, Cody Durden, and Zhalgas Zhumagulov.
A win over Royval would doubtless safe Van a title shot towards the Pantoja vs. Kara-France winner.
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