UFC 304: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape Fight Preview

Flyweights Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape may be fighting in the early prelims of UFC 304, and the winner could be in line for a title shot in their next outing. With champion Alexandre Pantoja currently without a new opponent, the victor of this Top 10 battle will likely have the inside track to be the next challenger.

Mokaev hails from Dagestan, Russia, but he’ll likely be the fan favorite as a local resident of Manchester. However, Kape will be no stranger to entering a hostile environment after beating several Japanese stars in RIZIN before signing with the UFC.

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape: Tale of the Tape

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape: Fight Statistics

Muhammad Mokaev’s Last Fight

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Mokaev has done everything fans want to see in a future champion. But he cannot seem to resonate with the general fanbase, despite being undefeated and 6-0 in the UFC. With a win over Manel Kape, the Dagestani could finally find himself in an undeniable position for the next title fight. Mokaev is coming off a convincing but unexciting win over Alex Perez at UFC Vegas 87.

As arguably the best wrestler in the division, Mokaev has won four of his six UFC fights by submission, while dominating Perez and Charles Johnson on the ground in his other two. The 23-year-old showed improvement in his striking against Perez, but still needed three takedowns to claw his way to victory.

Manel Kape’s Last Fight

Before Kai Asakura announced that he signed with the UFC in June, Kape was the first flyweight to enter the organization with significant hype behind his name, since the promotion introduced the division. Kape faltered early in his career with two losses in his first two fights in the Octagon. But he’s since strung together a four-fight win streak, with his most recent victory a nod over Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293.

‘Starboy’ was scheduled to face former interim title challenger Kai Kara-France at the event, but an injury sidelined the Kiwi, causing dos Santos to step in on short notice. As one of the most technical strikers in the flyweight division, Kape has knocked down each of his last four opponents, with two of those wins by knockout.

Having previously weighed in as the backup for a flyweight title fight, Kape has always been within arm’s reach of the belt. He predicts a knockout win over Mokaev will grant him a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja.

Key Stats

Muhammad Mokaev said he wanted to use his last fight with Alex Perez to showcase his striking improvement. but he won’t want to do that against Manel Kape. Though Perez is ranked one spot above Kape in the official UFC rankings, the Portuguese is still a much more powerful striker on paper and has better defensive mechanics. Kape’s combination of five total knockdowns and a 59 percent striking takedown defense in the UFC are two of the best in the division.

Aside from his 58-second guillotine submission of Cody Durden in his UFC debut, Mokaev has taken down every one of his opponents since 2022 at least three times. However, Kape has never been taken down more than twice in a single UFC fight, and has never been controlled for more than 2:42.

Likewise, Mokaev has never been hit with more than 30 significant strikes in the UFC, while Kape has landed more than 50 in all but one of his promotional contests. Safe to say, both men contradict the other’s fighting style, and the two will look to enforce their separate game plans on July 27.

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