Manel Kape views his upcoming UFC main event as a title eliminator but predicts he’ll have to wait in line before a title fight actually happens.
At UFC Fight Night 253, Kape (20-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will battle Brandon Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC). The winner will align themselves nicely for a title shot. However, Kape thinks champion Alexandre Pantoja will likely compete against another fighter first.
“Probably he’s going to fight Kai Kara-France, I do believe,” Kape recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “I do believe. I do believe Kai Kara-France has the skills to match up with Pantoja. Pantoja is a very hard opponent. But I do believe Kai Kara-France has some potential. He has a bigger chance than many other options. Brandon Royval, I believe 100 percent not going to fight until the third round. Maybe I’m fighting Kai Kara-France or Pantoja.”
Pantoja has established himself as a fairly dominant champion in a day and age where gold changes hands often. Since he defeated Brandon Moreno for the UFC flyweight title in July 2023, Pantoja has successfully defended his strap three times.
Though Kara-France (25-11 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is not on a multifight winning streak, he’s a fresh face for Pantoja who recently finished Steve Erceg, a fighter Pantoja struggled to defeat.
Regardless of who might be in his path should he align himself for a title fight, Kape likes his chances.
“I just prefer whoever is going to be there with the title,” Kape said. “I’m going to go there to take. I don’t have a preference. Both of them, I can smoke them. I don’t have any preference.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 253.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Manel Kape predicts Alexandre Pantoja gets Kai Kara-France – and he plans to smoke the winner
