Manel Kape had to bow out. A rib injury’s the culprit, sidelining him from a much-anticipated flyweight bout. He was all set to face Matheus Nicolau. The showdown was supposed to headline UFC on ESPN 55.
Kape spilled the beans on X. “First time I’ve ever had to pull out,” he confessed. The rib cartilage break was severe. Couldn’t move for a whole week. Last Thursday, though, surgery went “extremely well.”
He threw in a bit of his backstory. “Back in the day, we’d fight for free,” he mentioned. Not bragging, just stating facts. He wanted to make it clear: he’s not like “some of you guys.”
Kape and Nicolau had a previous date. January 13th, to be exact. But Kape missed weight by 3.5 pounds. That scrapped their initial encounter. Kape, a former Rizin bantamweight champ, has been on a roll in the Octagon. Four wins in a row, including a decision over Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293.
Now, Alex Perez steps up. He’s taking Kape’s spot against Nicolau. The new main event for UFC on ESPN 55 on April 27. A twist in the tale, for sure.