Manel Kape is assured he’d avenge his loss to Alexandre Pantoja in the event that they rematched.
Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) spoiled Kape’s (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) UFC debut when he defeated him by unanimous resolution in February 2021.
Kape has since gone 4-1, and was on the cusp of title rivalry earlier than withdrawing for a second time in opposition to Matheus Nicolau on this previous Saturday’s UFC Battle Evening 241 headliner, this time resulting from a rib harm.
“He’s not on my stage,” Kape mentioned on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “Pantoja isn’t on my stage, consider me. He can combat no matter fashion. I’m match with him.”
Kape pointed to the slippery canvas stopping him from transferring as the explanation why he misplaced to Pantoja of their first combat.
“The factor is, it was not the abilities however I used to be sliding lots within the cage,” Kape mentioned. “Should you watch the combat correctly, I used to be extra involved to stability. I used to be sliding. I used to be like utilizing a skate, and I couldn’t punch. Should you slide, you may’t have the facility to counter, to return, to tug.
“You don’t really feel grip. You see the 2 fights that I misplaced. … It’s not that they do one thing. They don’t do something. It was simply inactivity on my half due to course I can’t go there to punch and return to tug, I used to be like sliding. Very slippery.”
Pantoja defends his flyweight title in opposition to Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) primary occasion at Farmasi Area in Rio de Janeiro.
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 301.
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