Michael Chandler lambasted Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape for acting “tough” online but failing to deliver inside the ring. For the fight to go down to the wire and end in a decision, after all that trash-talk, was pretty anti-climactic. Although the pair showed a lot of animosity toward each other during the build-up, all that disappeared once the bell rang for round 1.
The fight didn’t start well for Kape who ended up breaking his toe early on. Even then, both fighters refused to close down the gaps and seemed very cautious inside the octagon. Eventually, the fight ended in a round 3 decision win for Mokaev, although most fans were bored of the two by then.
Naturally, Chandler was quite disappointed while watching the fight and he penned an entire message to the pair on X, saying,
“Mokaev v Kape pre-fight brovado and shenanigan score 10. In-fight killer instinct score 2.5. These guys man…point fighting after acting all “tough” #ufc304”
Mokaev v Kape pre-fight brovado and shenanigan score 10. In-fight killer instinct score 2.5. These guys man…point fighting after acting all “tough” #ufc304
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) July 28, 2024
Interestingly, ‘Iron’ ranked their pre-fight shenanigans over the bout itself, which is partially true, since the pair showed more aggression outside the octagon than inside it.
Nevertheless, Mokaev seemed pretty impressed with his performance and believed his decision victory had ended the beef against Kape once and for all.
Mokaev details his beef with Kape
It turns out there was some animosity between Mokaev and Kape ahead of their fight. According to the Brit, the beef started in Vegas.
Following his unanimous decision victory over Kape, the 24-year-old spoke to Caroline Pearce in an interview and explained the situation, saying,
“It was more personal, it happened in Vegas five days before my fight against Alex Perez…Then once he came to Manchester, once I see him, I had to welcome him to Manchester.”
“It was personal, the beef started in Vegas” @MuhammadMokaev reflects on his win over Manel Kape at UFC 304
: @CarolinePearce#UFC304 | LIVE on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/KoKO56b5KJ
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) July 28, 2024
Despite not being able to secure a knockout against Kape, Mokaev was pretty satisfied with his win as he continued his unbeaten streak. However, with most fans now disappointed in him, it will be interesting to see who the Brit looks to take on next.
