Top UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape doesn’t believe Joshua Van will present a challenge to him after watching his UFC 331 showing.
UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van kicked off a new era in the division by defeating Alexandre Pantoja in their UFC 331 title rematch. In an instant classic, Van defeated Pantoja by unanimous decision to retain his title.
Van handed the legendary Pantoja his second-straight loss following the latter’s all-time great reign as the UFC flyweight champion. Now, the 24-year-old has a slew of up-and-coming challengers looking to potentially take his throne.
One such contender is Manel Kape, who is on a four-fight win streak with all four bouts ending by knockout. He most recently finished former UFC title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi in June at the UFC Apex.
Van showed modernity in the UFC flyweight division in his impressive win over Pantoja at UFC 331. Despite his performance, Kape doesn’t believe Van presents much of a threat to his run through the division.
Manel Kape shares cold reaction to Joshua Van’s title defense at UFC 331
In recent tweets, Kape responded to some of Van’s post-fight remarks.
“You’re all going to be surprised by how easy I make this fight look,” Kape tweeted after Van’s win.
“The perfect style for me to paint a masterpiece.”
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier recently endorsed Kape as a ‘serious’ threat to Van’s title reign. Kape’s power in the flyweight division makes him a problem for most of the top contenders.
Kape was briefly linked to a clash with Van at UFC 328 earlier this year in Newark. Tatsuro Taira went on to fight Van in the UFC 328 co-main event, losing by fifth-round TKO.
Van’s finesse against Kape’s power makes their potential fight a top stylistic matchup for fight fans to look forward to next year. In the meantime, Kape’s confidence hasn’t wavered after watching Van’s latest victory.
What is your prediction for a potential Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape fight? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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