Manel Kape: UFC on ESPN 63 win over Bruno Silva will get Alexandre Pantoja rematch for flyweight title

TAMPA, Fla. – Manel Kape believes he’s proper across the nook from a title shot, and guarantees a rematch towards UFC flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja can be a a lot totally different combat.

At UFC on ESPN 63, Kape (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) returns to the octagon for the second time in 2024, seeking to return to the win column towards Bruno Silva. It’s the lone males’s flyweight combat on the cardboard, and “Starboy” believes it is going to be essentially the most thrilling combat of the occasion.

“What I like about Bruno is he doesn’t stroll again, he tries to seek out the combat,” Kape instructed reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “That’s what I like. … He wish to bang, I wish to bang, so it’s going to be nearly the identical like my combat in Australia towards Felipe dos Santos, and we have now an amazing potential to win the bonus; Struggle of the Evening.”

Kape noticed a four-fight win streak come to an finish in his final combat at UFC 304 towards Muhammad Mokaev. However, for those who ask him, on account of being the more practical striker and all the fouls that went uncalled, he didn’t lose.

“A win over Bruno goes to get me to the title,” Kape stated. “I’m nonetheless on a successful streak, by the way in which. I didn’t lose my final combat.”

Pantoja is coming off his third profitable title protection towards UFC newcomer and former Rizin champ Kai Asakura at UFC 310. With that win means a number of rematch choices for the champ, together with Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, and Kape, who made his UFC debut towards Pantoja. Kape misplaced that combat in 2021 by unanimous determination, and strongly believes a rematch for the title can be a lot totally different in 2025.

“When Pantoja fought Brandon Royval, he be sure that he win. That win was a unanimous determination and it was fairly certain the degrees between him and Moreno and different guys that he fought, it was not the identical. In case you look to my combat towards Pantoja, it was my first combat in UFC and he didn’t do something. After all, I didn’t do a lot, however I win rounds. I’m a fighter preventing 5 rounds. I develop up each spherical. He is aware of my potential. He is aware of my expertise. It’s going to be a special combat.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC on ESPN 63.