LAS VEGAS – Manel Kape believes Joshua Van doesn’t want the smoke.
Now in title contention, Kape (22-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) feels he’s a big threat to Van’s newly claimed UFC flyweight title. “Starboy” extended his winning streak and furthered his case to get the next title shot at 125 pounds after making quick work of long-time contender and former title challenger Brandon Royval (17-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 73, which took place Saturday at the UFC Apex.
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“He’s scared, he’s scared already,” Kape told reporters at the post-fight news conference. “He knows it’s about to go down, you know? He knows. He didn’t say anything because he knows I’m about to go down, and I’m coming hard. 2026, I’m coming very hard, you know? … I will eat, sleep, thinking about him every day, believe me. Every day. Until I take that gold, I’m going to be thinking about him every day. He’s going to sleep and dream about me. I’m going to be the worst nightmare in his life.”
Kape is currently on a three-fight winning streak and 7-1 in his past eight trips to the octagon. He rivals Japan’s Tatsuro Taira in the race for the next shot at the belt, should Alexandre Pantoja not get an immediate rematch following an arm injury in his championship defeat to Van at UFC 323 earlier this month.
Taira is on a two-fight winning streak, with his last win being a TKO over former champion Brandon Moreno. His only career loss came in 2024, when he lost a wild split decision to Royval. Kape feels that defeat to Royval is key in this title picture.
“If someone is saying this, then they don’t know nothing about math because two plus two is not six, it’s four,” Kape said when asked about the people who think Taira deserves the shot over him. “Brandon Royval just beat Tatsuro Taira, he broke him mentally and physically. I beat Brandon Royval in one round. Do the math.”
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As far as a return, Kape has cleared his schedule for whenever the UFC needs him. He’s ready and willing to fight for the belt today.
“As soon as possible. As soon as possible. As soon as possible,” Kape said. “I want to have this feeling again. What I’m feeling right now, I want to have this feeling because the fight is not over. The celebration is going to be when I have my belt, then I’ll have the celebration. So as soon as possible. UFC wants to book me, I’ll be there, I’ll show up, and I will win and get the belt. I have no injuries, the fight was fast, so I’m ready to go again.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Manel Kape sees himself knocking out Joshua Van: ‘He’s scared already’
