Manel Kape explains why he rejected an attempted apology from Israel Adesanya at UFC 293: “We are not brothers”

UFC flyweight Manel Kape has explained why he refused an apology from Israel Adesanya after their press conference altercation.

Over the course of the last few months, Manel Kape has been making some noise in the UFC. After having a string of fights canceled for a parade of reasons, he was scheduled to take on Kai Kara-France at UFC 293. Unfortunately, Kara-France was unable to proceed with the contest, meaning he went up against Felipe dos Santos instead in a Fight of the Night bout.

RELATED: WATCH | MANEL KAPE AND ISRAEL ADESANYA GET INTO HEATED SHOUTING MATCH AT UFC 293 PRESS CONFERENCE

A few days prior, however, Kape took the opportunity to throw shade at Kara-France during the event’s pre-fight press conference. His teammate Israel Adesanya took exception to this, leading to quite an interesting back and forth – with Kape now lifting the lid on what went down afterward.

Kape slams Adesanya

“After all this talk [at the press conference], he came to me backstage ‘Hey, no disrespect, we are Africa, we’re brothers,’” Kape said when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I said, ‘We are not brothers.

“‘Look, my problem is with Kai Kara, not with you. Why did you stand up? He can handle his business.’”

“Believe me, if he’s in the street with no cameras, I’ll eat you, too,” Kape said. “You are a man to back up your words. Because you’re just one [man], you’re tall, but I’ll eat you in the streets. Believe me. You don’t know what I’m capable of doing.

“He backed down again. Ask them what he said to me backstage. No man, no size, I don’t fear them, and I’m undefeated in the streets.”

“I expected it, because they’re just acting,” Kape said. “The difference is I’m not acting. I’m not acting. I’m for real.

“These people, they’re not built like me. Where I come from, what I handle. I’m different than these people. He knows. He don’t want the problem there.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

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