Alright, let’s dive into this. So, a big blow for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). They’ve lost a significant fight for their upcoming Saturday show.
We’re talking about UFC Fight Night 234. During the Friday morning weigh-ins, Manel Kape tipped the scales at 129.5 pounds. He was all set to go against Matheus Nicolau, who weighed in at 126.
But then, drama. Kape was overweight and decided to stop cutting. He got hit with a 25% fine of his purse. But before the fighters could even square off, the promotion pulled the plug on the fight. Kape says Nicolau chose not to take the fine and accept the match.
Kape had something to say about it all. “Guys, I couldn’t make the weight this time,” he admitted. Two weeks prior, he’d been seriously sick with a virus. It hit him hard in Las Vegas, keeping him out of training for five days and pumping him full of antibiotics.
It wasn’t just him, either. Many of his training partners were affected too. His coaches and manager thought it best to cancel the fight given his condition. But Kape? He wanted to push through, not cancel. His opponent, however, didn’t want to fight or take his purse.
This isn’t new for Kape. His matches have been falling through left and right since his promotional debut in 2020. Eight bouts have been scratched for various reasons, from Kape failing a drug test to his opponent missing weight, injuries, and more.
Despite this, “Starboy” has fought six times in the Octagon. He’s currently on a four-fight win streak. Kape had his sights set on a title shot with a victory on Saturday, but those plans are on hold for now.
The flyweight fighter didn’t hold back his disappointment. “I would give him my entire purse if he wants to fight. But things are as they are, and I take all responsibilities,” he confessed. Last year, he had five fights canceled, one when his opponent was 11 lbs over. Still, he agreed to fight.
He finished with a thank you to the UFC Performance Institute nutritionists who tried everything to help him make weight. “See you guys soon,” he signed off.