Kape meant business following the stunning stoppage-win against Royval (17-9 MMA); he wants to usher in a new era at flyweight with a potential title fight against recently-crowned champion Joshua Van (16-2 MMA) next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know they have hands for me,” Kape told reporters Saturday following the event. “Five rounds, I can take a lot of time. I can take my time. I can shine, but if they make a mistake, I will knock him out in the first round. Like I said, I want to play with my food in the first round, and then in the second round, I can do my job. Ain\u2019t going to be different.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Ex-UFC champion Belal Muhammad calls out divisional ‘cowherd’ for return fight<\/a><\/p>\n Kape said his No. 1 priority is getting a shot at Van. In an ideal scenario, Kape would want to fight him next, rather than former champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-6 MMA), or another contender. He called the UFC “a smart and intelligent company,” noting that he is letting his management team handle the proceedings.<\/p>\n Manel Kape Rips Joshua Van Following UFC Vegas 112 Dec 6, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Joshua Van (blue gloves) reacts after the fight against Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) during UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll eat, sleep and think about him everyday,” Kape said. “Believe me. Everyday. Until I take that gold, I\u2019m going to think about him everyday. He\u2019s going to sleep and dream about me. I\u2019m going to be the worst nightmare he\u2019s going to have in his life.\u201d<\/p>\n Kape doesn’t understand the hype around Japan’s Tatsuro Taira (18-1 MMA), arguing he will be a bigger attraction than Taira if the UFC opted to send Kape into enemy territory.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know why people talk about Taira,” Kape said. “When you see me fight, you see my style. There is no room for my name to be near to him. We are different [people], we are different fighters. I bring excitement. I bring finishes. Ain\u2019t no boring. This guy just knows how to say \u2018I\u2019m happy.\u2019 I\u2019m the best investment. I\u2019m the smart investment.\u201d<\/p>\n Van vs. Kape At UFC Houston? Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Van wasn’t too fond of Kape’s confidence.<\/p>\n Houston TX @ManelKape<\/a> \u2014 Joshua Van (@JoshuaVanBT) December 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n “Let\u2019s run it! Talk is cheap,” Van wrote on ‘X,’ requesting the fight takes place in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n Luckily for both men, the UFC’s event calendar sees it make an appearance at the Toyota Center <\/a>Saturday, Feb. 21 for a Fight Night installment.<\/a><\/p>\n The UFC doesn’t typically alter Fight Nights in favor of numbered events, but anything is possible.<\/p>\n More MMA Knockout News<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Dana White draws critical conclusion about Henry Cejudo’s UFC 323 retirement<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0UFC 324 adds two more top-ranked fighters to kick off new Paramount deal<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0UFC fan favorite aims to end losing skid against towering KO artist at UFC 325<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0UFC Champion Tom Aspinall shares scary update on eye injuries<\/a><\/p>\n Stick with\u00a0MMAKnockout<\/a>\u00a0for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n Follow MMAKnockout on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Joshua](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/01kcf1xxvffnmapj9ww4.jpg\" "\\"Joshua")
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Let\u2019s run it! Talk is cheap @ufc<\/a><\/p>\n