UFC Fight Night - Manel Kape vs Asu Almabayev

The next UFC Apex Las Vegas card will be headlined by a couple of Flyweights. Number 6th-ranked Manel Kape will go up against the 8th-in-line Asu Almabayev. The fight is supposed to launch one of these fighters forward and move them into contention for a title shot. However, even with a win, the two seem miles away from the title holder Alexandre Pantoja.

But if one of them scores an impressive win here, we just might see them leapfrog the competition and jump right in line for a shot at the belt.

Manel Kape Record (20-7)

Manel Kape enters the fight right off a TKO victory against Bruno Silva. The impressive win, his ranking, and overall UFC experience make him a favourite in this fight. However, his UFC career has been nothing but a mixed bag. He entered the organization with two losses and has amassed a 5-3 record over time.

The two losses actually saw him recuperate and embark on a run of four wins in a row. However, he would then lose to Muhammad Mokaev in a decision loss, which was one of the most hyped fights in UFC history but ended up being one of the worst fights instead.

Since then, Kape managed to bounce back after he scored an impressive TKO win against Bruno Silva. It was his third stoppage in the UFC as he showed that when he’s in the groove, his hands can be very dangerous for his opponents. Something that Almabayev has to keep an eye out for.

Asu Almabayev (21-2)

Almabayev is one of the most recent wave of Khazak fighters to enter the UFC. Along with Shavkat Rakhmonov, he has shown how fighters from this region can be tough. Almabayev is currently on a 17-fight win streak that spans since 2017 and his days at ACB.

Asu Almabayev entered the UFC in 2023 when he submitted Ode Osbourne in his debut. Immediately, he showed off his potential and displayed how dangerous he can be. He has continued his win streak, amassing three new wins, making his UFC record 4-0.

His most recent win was against Matheus Nicolau, defeating him thanks to a unanimous decision victory at Fight Night 245. Almabayev is a much tougher opponent than people give him credit for. His advantage comes on the ground, where he is a much more superior wrestler than Kape, giving him an edge in one of the most important aspects of MMA.

Manel Kape vs Asu Almabayev Prediction

Manel Kape is a former RIZIN champion, but that was already way back in 2021. He hasn’t been able to transfer the success and the fast pace from there to the UFC. While he has been able to score some impressive wins, we have seen him exposed by Mokaev, who was able to take him down and keep him down.

On the other hand, Almabayev is a former M-1 and NFC champion and has been compared all over. He has been getting better and better with each matchup, and this one should be his biggest one yet. I don’t think he needs to change anything against Kape, as a superior wrestler usually beats a superior puncher. 

I predict this one going down in favour of Almabayev, even though Kape enters as the more experienced and favoured fighter. A decision victory is something that most see, but if Asu takes Manel down early enough when they are still dry, Kape is in a world of hurty and might find himself submitted.

SAFER GAMBLING

At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.