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Manel Kape couldn’t think about a greater method to kick off 2024 than by avenging certainly one of his solely two UFC losses.
On Saturday at UFC Vegas 84, “Starboy” clashes with Matheus Nicolau for the second time after their preliminary encounter led to a controversial break up resolution. Regardless of each single media member scoring the struggle for Kape (through MMA Decisions), two of the three judges opted to select Nicolau.
Lower than three years later, Kape can’t wait to settle the rating with Nicolau as soon as and for all.
“It’s a struggle that I’ve needed for a very long time to get my revenge and really to show the outcome within the final struggle was unsuitable,” Kape, who’s received his previous 4, advised MMA Preventing. “Nicolau is in an excellent place to take his spot, so it’s good for me.”
It’s not all the time simple to foretell rematches like this one, however Kape feels the UFC in all probability didn’t give Nicolau a lot of a alternative within the matter. Regardless of Nicolau’s win of their first encounter, Kape doesn’t see the Brazilian as a menace, a lot much less an entertaining opponent – a trait the UFC desires from all of its fighters.
“I don’t consider he’s a man that the UFC desires him a lot, as a result of let’s communicate the reality — he’s boring,” Kape stated. “He makes boring fights on a regular basis. In fact, he frustrates his opponents, and he does very effectively, but it surely’s not an enormous present, like an excellent struggle. It’s boring.
“This strain goes to kill him. He misplaced his final struggle, and he accepted the struggle in opposition to me. It’s very harmful for him. This type doesn’t assist him. He’s going to be underneath large strain. I do know my method and my path very effectively proper now. I simply take into consideration victory on a regular basis.”
So as to add to that, Kape is aware of Nicolau has to hate listening to that the final struggle between them was a theft so he’s in all probability within the rematch to settle a rating. Sadly for him, Kape guarantees there will probably be no questions raised in regards to the winner this time round.
“For this reason he accepted the [rematch] — he is aware of he didn’t win the struggle,” Kape stated. “Within the post-fight interview, you possibly can see clear, he was not satisfied he received the struggle. The fighters know if you win and if you lose, and naturally, he desires this a lot. He already hears lots that he didn’t win the struggle.
“Credit score to him for having the balls to simply accept this struggle, [and] he desires to point out the people who ‘I can beat this man,’ but it surely’s not going to occur. He accepted as a result of he has his doubts.”
If all goes effectively on Saturday, Kape desires to proceed his revenge tour with the one different fighter to carry a win over him within the UFC: reigning flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja.
They met in Kape’s octagon debut again in 2021, and it undoubtedly wasn’t the struggle or the impression he needed to make after first arriving within the UFC. There’s no private grudge there essentially, however Kape couldn’t have scripted it higher to get Nicolau and hopefully transfer onto a title shot rematch with Pantoja later this 12 months.
“It’s the right combo,” Kape stated. “I considered this yesterday. Guess what? I’m superb in rematches. I really consider I’m higher than each. We all know Nicolau is a man that runs away lots within the cage. He’s a counter man, however he truly doesn’t symbolize any hazard to me in any respect. We fought, and he didn’t symbolize any hazard in any scenario within the struggle. I’m simply going to be higher, minimize his angles and get the knockout. I’m going to complete this struggle. It’s not going to be with the judges, after which it’s Pantoja.
“Pantoja has confirmed numerous weak spot in his sport. His final struggle was good, however I can do higher than him. It’s the right combo.”
Kape acknowledges the errors he made when falling to Pantoja, however he’s come a great distance since then. He’s additionally stored a watchful eye on the Brazlian in anticipation that they’d meet once more.
“He’s a high-level fighter, however he takes too many pictures,” Kape stated about Pantoja. “If [his recent]struggle was in opposition to me, one shot, he was useless. The shot he took from Brandon Royval, you possibly can see Brandon Royval is a thin man, not very highly effective, he’s simply unpredictable. A clumsy fighter and a struggle in opposition to Brandon Royval is identical instance in opposition to someone who doesn’t know find out how to struggle, an newbie man. He’s going to harm you as a result of he doesn’t know what he’s doing. That is what I consider Brandon Royval and he related with a really, superb shot on Pantoja.
“I checked out that struggle, and I used to be pondering if that was me, he was already accomplished. Nobody can deal with two or three punches of mine. This provides me extra motivation. I know how to beat Pantoja. We simply must take the time. I’m not going to consider Pantoja proper now, but it surely’s coming.”
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