Short notice opponent change? That’s no problem for Manel Kape.
Back in March, Kape was scheduled to take on Brandon Royval in the main event of UFC Fight Night 253, however, due to some health issues from Royval, Kape was matched up with dangerous contender Asu Almabayev. Despite the drastic change in styles, Kape had no issues adapting and put on a dominant showing in a third-round TKO win. Kape not only left with a stoppage victory, but also a $50,000 Performance of the Night award.
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You can watch Kape’s win over Almabayev in the video above.
Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 266 (ESPN+), which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He takes on fellow veteran contender and former title challenger Brandon Royval (17-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in a five-round flyweight contest.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 112 full fight: Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev