After a long stint in the UFC flyweight division – much of which was marred by injury and fight cancellations – Ian McCall requested to be released from the UFC roster. The promotion granted his wish.
From there, it did not take long for McCall to find a new home, as he was promptly scooped up by Japanese PRIDE-revival Rizin Fighting Federation, and ejected into an exciting bantamweight Grand Prix.
McCall’s quarterfinal opponent in this tournament is Manel Kape, a streaking Portuguese fighter with a definite size advantage and a proven knack for the finish.
From their first press conference together, Kape and McCall made their disdain for one another clear with plenty of badmouthing and even a little shoving. Last night, at the weigh ins for their quarterfinal bout, things got even more physical, as they actually traded blows. See the video above.
It all began when Kape, seemingly unprompted, slapped McCall in the back of the head. From there, McCall acted accordingly, wading in to plant a punch on his foe. McCall maintains the blow he threw was a slap, not a punch. Whether this is true or not, he may well face some kind of penalty for his actions, though the rules on this sort of thing are undeniably less stringent in Japan.
For better or for worse, this weigh in incident has undoubtedly spiked interest in this exciting Ian McCall vs. Manel Kape fight. Stay tuned for results!
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 27/12/2017.
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