Aljamain Sterling Sees Manel Kape Fighting for UFC Title After Knockout Win Over Asu Almabayev

Manel Kape had one aim going into his first UFC main event tonight: win big and get himself in the title conversation. And that’s exactly what he did. Stepping in on short notice against Asu Almabayev, Kape delivered his second KO in as many fights, leading to former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling seeing him as a legitimate title challenger at 125 lbs.

Kape has been calling for a title shot since his last win in December 2024 against Bruno Silva. But even though the win against Silva was a solid 8/10 performance, it came on the back of a nasty loss to Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 in July last year.

But now that he’s proven he’s a cut above the rest, the calls for him being flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja’s next challenger have grown much louder.

The ever-vigilant Sterling agrees!

Commending the performance on Twitter, Aljo said,  “Manel Kape fights for the belt next!! Great performance! #UFCVegas103”

However, as has been the case in the last year or so, Kape’s name has become synonymous with controversy. While this one might not have the same depth to it as a hotel lobby brawl with Mokaev, it still raises some questions. 

Kape dominated tonight’s fight from start to finish, eventually earning a TKO stoppage in the third round. But there was a moment where his opponent, Almabayev, tried to get the ref’s attention for what he thought was an eye poke.

However, with no stoppage coming from referee Mike Beltran, Kape just kept pressing forward and finished the fight at 2:16 of Round 3. At this point, there has been no statement about it from the UFC brass, primarily CEO Dana White. So Kape will hope that the matter is truly done and dusted. 

Because this was as perfect a performance as has been seen from Kape’s pro MMA career till date.

From the opening bell, he controlled the center of the octagon, pushing the pace while landing sharp strikes. Almabayev had some counter-shots here and there, but Kape was clearly in control, leaving him bloodied by the end of Round 1.

By the second round, Kape got even more comfortable—throwing in some flashy moves and taunting a little. Almabayev was still trying to land, but Kape’s speed and explosiveness kept him ahead.

Then came Round 3, where the Angolan fighter turned up the pressure. With no break granted to Almabayev for a supposed eye poke, Kape kept pouring on the offense until the fight was stopped.

Elate, Kape progressed to grab the mic during the post-fight interview and called out Pantoja himself.

‘Star boy’ to steal UFC gold

“Who’s next? Who’s stepping up against me?” Kape shouted after his dominant performance.

Asserting that the UFC couldn’t deny him his title shot any longer, the Angolan fighter name-dropped UFC’s Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell’s name and said, “You know I’m the best. I just stopped a guy on a 17-fight win streak—everyone else was scared to fight him!”

“You think I was scared just because he’s a wrestler? I can wrestle, I can strike—I can do it all. I’m the best. I’m the star boy.”, he added. 

‘Star-boy’ then turned his attention to the men he wanted to challenge and asked them to lace up their boots.

“Pantoja, Kai Kara-France, whoever wants it—be ready. Because I’m coming to take that belt, just like I steal candy for my daughter.”, the flyweight contender declared. 

With six wins in his last seven fights, Kape sure is becoming a little difficult to ignore for the UFC matchmakers. He’s not only been dominant, the Angolan flyweight also has a knack for giving the crowd a great time during the fights. Does this guarantee a title shot?

The UFC doesn’t really conform to standardized matchmaking, so no, he’s not guaranteed a title shot. However, “should he?” might warrant an entirely different answer altogether.