Alexandre Pantoja vs. Manel Kape added to Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards undercard
An intriguing flyweight bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Manel Kape has been added to the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards undercard.
Pantoja vs. Kape is set for December 19 on the undercard of the Chimaev vs. Edwards UFC Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAjunkie.com broke the news.
Pantoja (22-5) is the No. 5 overall flyweight in the UFC. The 30-year-old Brazilian broke into the UFC in 2017 and since then has gone 6-3 with wins over Matt Schnell, Wilson Reis, Ulka Sasaki, Brandon Moreno, Neil Seery, and Eric Shelton, with losses to current UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, Askar Askarov, and Dustin Ortiz. Pantoja is one of the top finishers in the flyweight division as he’s stopped 16 opponents, eight by TKO and eight by submission. He is one of the top-ranked fighters in the UFC flyweight ladder but after losing two of his last three fights, Moreno definitely needs a win here over Kape.
Kape (15-4) is the former RIZIN bantamweight champion. The 26-year-old native of Portugal was a high-profile signing by the UFC in a division that needs depth. Kape is coming to the UFC riding a three-fight win streak that includes a notable KO win over Kai Asakura in RIZIN. He also has a recent KO win over former UFC bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki. In the UFC, Kape will compete in the flyweight division where he will hope to make a run up the rankings with a big win over Pantoja.
With UFC flyweight champion Deivson Figueiredo taking on top contender Alex Perez at UFC 255 in November, the timing is right that the winner of Kape vs. Pantoja could see themselves in a No. 1 contender fight their next time out, though a title shot is always a possibility if we see an incredible victory by either guy.
Who do you think wins, Alexandre Pantoja or Manel Kape?
