UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape has heard some things regarding past training sessions between his upcoming opponent Muhammad Mokaev and champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Having had a weight miss and an injury keep him out for the entirety of 2024 thus far, Kape is set to finally make his return to action at this weekend's UFC 304 pay-per-view at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.
To stake his claim for a first title shot on MMA's biggest stage and rematch with Pantoja, "Starboy" is tasked with blemishing the perfect UFC and professional record of Britain's Mokaev.
Given what he's seen from "The Punisher's" recent fights, Kape has appeared extremely confident about his chances of doing so.
While yet to taste defeat in the cage, Mokaev's latest victories have seemingly left plenty to be desired in the eyes of some fans and peers. That includes in the mind of Pantoja, who has requested to see more from the former IMMAF champion if he's to challenge for the belt.
And when it comes to Mokaev's chances against "The Cannibal," Kape recently explained why he expects "The Punisher" to be exposed against the division's elite...
Kape: Mokaev 'Tapped A Lot' To Pantoja At ATT
During his appearance at UFC 304 media day on Wednesday, Kape looked ahead to his battle with Mokaev on Saturday night.
When discussing the champ's comments about his opponent, "Starboy" referenced their history training together at American Top Team. Kape claimed that Mokaev no longer heads to the Coconut Creek-based facility to train due to the struggles he had on the ground against Pantoja.
Pantoja can say a lot of things of him because they trained before together, and I know Pantoja had been submitting him a lot, a lot," Kape said. "He (Mokaev) tapped a lot. It's the reason that Mokaev don't go train more at ATT.
If that's true, it seemingly wouldn't be a surprise for Kape, whose analysis of Mokaev's game has led to him identifying plenty of mistakes for high-level flyweights to exploit inside the Octagon.
There is a lot of mistakes. He's been struggling a lot. A lot, a lot of mistakes. If he faces somebody in the top three of the UFC (flyweight) rankings, he's gonna get finished. So it's gonna be fun.
Kape will hope that also applies to some further down the pecking order, with the Angola-born Portuguese flyweight currently occupying the #8 position on the 125-pound ladder.
He'll be looking to climb further toward contention and perhaps secure a top five spot by putting on a standout performance on UK soil this weekend.
