Manel Kape delivered an impressive performance against Asu Almabayev in his first UFC main event, but the fight was marked by controversy due to two alleged eye pokes.
Kape defeated Almabayev with a TKO in the third round at UFC Vegas 103, ending Almabayev’s impressive 17-fight winning streak. Kape dominated the fight from the start, using quick and powerful strikes and feints to disrupt Almabayev’s rhythm.
However, replays showed Kape appearing to poke Almabayev in the eye in both the second and third rounds. Despite the replays, neither the referee nor the replay officials intervened to pause the fight. Kape was questioned about these incidents at the post-fight press conference.
“It’s not my responsibility,” Kape stated, implying it was the referee’s job to monitor fouls. “I didn’t see anything. I believe the referee should pay closer attention. I’ve experienced questionable situations in the octagon myself, so I’m unsure. From my perspective, everything seemed fine, and Almabayev appeared to see clearly. If Almabayev was genuinely unable to continue and had complained, I would have given him space. But I didn’t do anything wrong, so I continued to fight.”
Following a debated loss to Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304, Kape has now secured dominant wins against Bruno Silva and Almabayev. “Starboy” Kape believes this victory should position him for a shot at the title.
In the final moments of the fight, Kape hurt Almabayev, who attempted to evade further strikes by moving around the octagon. Kape recognized Almabayev was vulnerable and capitalized.
“Yes, I sensed his weakness,” Kape explained. “I felt I was too much for him. As I predicted, he wasn’t the same fighter after the second round, and I consistently improve as the fight progresses.”
“I was waiting for the opportune moment, noticing he was exposing his back too much, and I remained composed, waiting for the right time to finish the fight.”
