The UFC continues to add depth to the bantamweight division with a new signee. Combate’s Marcelo Barone and Raphael Marinho report that the UFC has signed 26 years old Portuguese-Angolan Rizin bantamweight champion Manel Kape. Kape’s training camp AKA Thailand confirmed the report and added that it is a four-fight deal.
Kape has an MMA record of 15-4 and has been on the rise for some time. When Kape got signed to Rizin he was put into the Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix in 2017. He defeated Erson Yamamoto by TKO in the first round on October 15, 2017. Fans may also recall Kape getting into an altercation with former UFC flyweight title contender Ian Mccall during pre-fight weigh-ins for the second round of the Grand Prix. He would defeat Mccall by TKO(doctor stoppage) on December 29, 2017. Ultimately, Kape would lose to Kyoji Horiguchi by submission in the final round on December 31, 2017.
Kape will enter the UFC on a three-fight win streak and has finished all three of his last opponents. His last fight was a title defense against Kai Asakura at Rizin 20 on December 31, 2019. He would win by TKO in the second round. While Kape is the Rizin bantamweight champion, there is a possibility that he can drop down to 125 to compete in the flyweight division. The UFC is looking to continue the flyweight division and Kape can be a great addition. No statement has been made by the UFC as to when Kape will make his debut. Rizin has yet to strip Kape of the bantamweight championship or announce how will they determine a new champion.