Manel Kape

Overview

Eleven UFC fights, 8-3, and not one of the three losses was a stoppage.

Manel Kape is a flyweight who fights out of Kleber Repolho Jiujitsu MMA, and his UFC record is built on knockouts: six of his eight wins ended by KO/TKO, none by submission. The other two went to decision. He carries a four-fight win streak into his next fight, and the last three wins of that streak all came in main events.

He's a finisher who hasn't lost by finish. Hold onto that, because it's the shape of his whole run.

UFC Career

Kape debuted on February 5, 2021, against Alexandre Pantoja and lost a unanimous decision. He fought again five weeks later and dropped a split decision to Matheus Nicolau. Two fights, two losses, both going the distance.

He turned it around fast. Ode Osbourne fell by KO/TKO in round 1 at 4:44 at UFC 265, and Zhalgas Zhumagulov followed in the same round at 4:02 that December. Two first-round finishes, both late in the round.

Then came a quieter stretch. Wins over David Dvorak and Felipe dos Santos were both unanimous decisions, in December 2022 and September 2023. The finishing slowed, but the winning didn't.

At UFC 304 in July 2024, Muhammad Mokaev, an opponent our model rates as strong, took a unanimous decision. It's his third UFC loss and his third by decision.

What came next is the best run of his career. Bruno Silva was stopped in round 3 at 1:57 in December 2024. Then he headlined against Asu Almabayev, another strong opponent, and finished him in round 3 at 2:16. In December 2025 he headlined again and stopped Brandon Royval in round 1 at 3:18. He closed the sequence in June 2026 with a third straight main event, a round 3 TKO of Kyoji Horiguchi at 2:42.

Four wins. Four stoppages. Three of them in the main event.

Fighting Style

Manel Kape is a busy, accurate striker who is hard to hit cleanly. He lands more than most and his accuracy stands out. His defense is better than most too, though he still takes strikes at a typical rate.

He rarely shoots for takedowns and doesn't hunt for submissions, and he has no submission wins in the UFC. Opponents have a hard time taking him down, which keeps him on his feet.

His finishes all come by knockout: six of his eight wins. Three came in round 1 and the other three in round 3, with none in round 2. The sample is small, but he tends to land early or late.

Notable Wins

• Brandon Royval — KO/TKO, round 1 at 3:18, UFC Fight Night: Royval vs Kape (2025)
• Asu Almabayev — KO/TKO, round 3 at 2:16, UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Almabayev (2025)
• Kyoji Horiguchi — KO/TKO, round 3 at 2:42, UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi (2026)
• Bruno Silva — KO/TKO, round 3 at 1:57, UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Buckley (2024)

Quick Facts

• Division: Flyweight
• UFC record: 8-3
• Professional record (all promotions): 23-7-0
• UFC debut: 2021
• Stance: Southpaw
• Height / reach: 5'5" / 68"
• Team: Kleber Repolho Jiujitsu MMA
• Born: Angola (fights for Portugal)