Latest news with #ManelKape
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 317: Brandon Royval Vs. Joshua Van Opening Betting Odds
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 12: Brandon Royval reacts after a victory against Tatsuro Taira of Japan ... More in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) UFC 317 picked up an eye-opening flyweight fight earlier this week when the UFC booked Joshua Van to step in on short notice to face Brandon Royval shortly after Royval's initial opponent, Manel Kape, dropped off the card due to a foot injury. Royval enters the June 28 pay-per-view card as the No. 1 ranked UFC flyweight, while Van is riding a four-fight winning streak. UFC 317 takes place on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The PPV card is the centerpiece of this year's UFC International Fight Week festivities. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 07: Joshua Van of Myanmar enters the octagon before the flyweight bout ... More against Bruno Silva of Brazil during UFC 316 at the Prudential Center on June 07, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo) Kape, who is the No. 6 ranked UFC flyweight broke the news that he was out of his UFC 317 matchup opposite Royval on social media. "With great regret, I come to inform that I am out of the next #UFC317 competition. "I suffered a foot fracture during the training &, after medical evaluation, I was instructed to have surgery & focus 100% on recovery. "It's not easy to stay out of something I've been preparing for with so much dedication, and without a doubt this would be the most advantageous fight of my career but I understand that this is just another challenge on the way and I trust the plans that Allah has for me! 'I sincerely thank everyone who is with me - we remain firm, stronger with each obstacle. The battle was only postponed... I'll be back soon!' Kape wrote on X. Kape and Royval were scheduled to meet in March 2025, but Royval withdrew from that fight due to concussions. Kape stayed on the card, beating Asu Almabayev by TKO. The win was Kape's second straight TKO win and improved his record to 6-1 dating back to August 2021. 'Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in,' Royval said on Instagram. 'I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape's injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what's in front of me. I've got a gangster that's ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me.' Van confirmed Royval's statement, saying on X, 'I'll be fighting Royval June 28!!!' Royval last fought in October 2024 when he scored a split decision win over Tatsuro Taira in a 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning performance at the top of a UFC Vegas fight card. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 12: Brandon Royval prepares to face Tatsuro Taira of Japan in a ... More flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) When BetOnline published the opening betting lines for the Royval vs. Van matchup, Van opened as the -260 betting favorite over Royval, who was the +220 betting underdog. Those odds have shifted in a big way since then. Today, Royval is the -132 betting favorite over Van, who is currently the +122 betting underdog. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 07: Joshua Van of Myanmar reacts after a knockout victory against Bruno ... More Silva of Brazil in a flyweight bout during the UFC 316 event at Prudential Center on June 07, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) The timing of the Royval vs. Van fight is excellent. The co-main event of UFC 317 finds the flyweight title on the line, as champion Alexandre Pantoja faces Kai Kara-France in that matchup. The winner of the Royval vs. Van fight, which is currently booked for the UFC 317 prelims, could determine who faces the winner of that Pantoja vs. Kara-France matchup. Van spoke about that fight. "Kai is a very powerful guy. So I feel like if Kai doesn't show him too much respect, I think he can get it done," Van said. "But if Pantoja bullies him in there, it's done. It's over. 'It would be ideal if I fight Pantoja because nobody's ever beaten him as the champion. So if I go out there and beat him, that would be [great]. May the best man win.' Royval faced Pantoja in a title fight in December 2023. Pantoja won that contest by decision. The two also faced each other in a non-title bout in August 2021. Pantoja earned a submission win in that scrap. Royval has a September 2020 submission win over Kara-France. The UFC officially announced the five-fight line-up for UFC 317 during the UFC 316 broadcast. Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira - For vacant UFC lightweight title Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France - For Pantoja's UFC flyweight title Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov - Middleweight Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano - Lightweight Jhonata Diniz vs. Justin Tafa - Heavyweight We will have more on Royval vs. Van and the UFC 317 fight card as fight night approaches.
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 317 Fight Card Gets Major Update With Injury
The No. 1 ranked fighter in the UFC's flyweight division saw his initial UFC Atlanta opponent fall off the June 14th fight card, only to pick up a surprise short-notice replacement who is coming off a big win at UFC 316. On Monday, Brandon Royval announced that his UFC 317 fight against the No. 6 ranked Manel Kape was off. The No. 1 ranked UFC flyweight also announced that his replacement opponent would be Joshua Van, who entered UFC 316 as the No. 14 ranked 125-pound contender. Van knocked out the No. 12 ranked Bruno Silva at the top of the UFC 316 preliminary card. Van is likely to jump in the rankings, thanks to that victory. "With great regret, I come to inform that I am out of the next #UFC317 competition. "I suffered a foot fracture during the training &, after medical evaluation, I was instructed to have surgery & focus 100% on recovery. "It's not easy to stay out of something I've been preparing for with so much dedication, and without a doubt this would be the most advantageous fight of my career but I understand that this is just another challenge on the way and I trust the plans that Allah has for me! 'I sincerely thank everyone who is with me - we remain firm, stronger with each obstacle. The battle was only postponed... I'll be back soon!' Kape wrote on X. Kape and Royval were scheduled to meet in March 2025, but Royval withdrew from that fight due to concussions. Kape stayed on the card, beating Asu Almabayev by TKO. The win was Kape's second straight TKO win and improved his record to 6-1 dating back to August 2021. 'Manel Kape is out, Joshua Van is stepping in,' Royval said on Instagram. 'I have zero idea of the extent of Manel Kape's injuries but I do know I have the hottest prospect and probably the most exciting UFC flyweight in front of me. Really nothing changes for me as far as what's in front of me. I've got a gangster that's ready to take my head off and earn his name off of me.' Van confirmed Royval's statement, saying on X, 'I'll be fighting Royval June 28!!!' Royval last fought in October 2024 when he scored a split decision win over Tatsuro Taira in a 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning performance at the top of a UFC Vegas fight card. The UFC has not officially announced the Royval vs. Van matchup for UFC 317. The UFC officially announced the five-fight line-up for UFC 317 during the UFC 316 broadcast. Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira - For vacant UFC lightweight title Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France - For Pantoja's UFC flyweight title Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov - Middleweight Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano - Lightweight Jhonata Diniz vs. Justin Tafa - Heavyweight We will have more on the UFC 317 fight card as fight night approaches. UFC 317 takes place on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
RNZ News
05-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Kai Kara-France on old nemesis Manel Kape: 'He's an entitled, insecure clown'
UFC flyweights Manel Kape and Kai Kara-France have been vocal about their distain for one another. Photo: Photosport It has all the elements for an explosion. Two bitter rivals, one stage, high stakes, and the world watching. Kiwi flyweight Kai Kara-France is set for the biggest fight of his career when he gets his second shot at undisputed gold on 29 June against champion Alexandre Pantoja. Undoubtedly by design, Kara-France will share the UFC 317 card with an old nemesis, Manel Kape. The animosity between the pair is palpable, and was on full display at the UFC media conference in 2023 in Sydney. Originally scheduled to fight each other, Kara -France was forced to pull out due to injury, a move which prompted Kape to call Kara-France a "p***y". As well as insults, Kape also threw a bottle at Kara-France, prompting intervention form City Kick Boxing teammate Israel Adesanya. Should they cross paths in Vegas, Kara-France does not intend to be civil. "If he does try anything on the stage at the weigh-ins or media day, if he tries to throw a bottle at me, it's not going to be the same reaction. This is definitely personal. I don't like the guy. I think he's a clown. I think he's very insecure and very entitled, and in the fight game, the circle's too small. Eventually we're going to run into each other." The 34-year old said karma will catch Kape. "All that talk you've been doing, eventually you're going to be humbled and he needs a bit of humble pie. I would love to do it, but I want to make sure I get paid to do it. So, that fight's always going to be in front of me, but right now all my eyes are set on Pantoja and being the first one to knock him out." Should Kara-France prevail against Pantoja, he said Kape would be an ideal first defence, and he said he would love to see it run in his own backyard. "He's got a tough fight in front of him, but if he does win, I can see the UFC setting that up. So, I would love to, obviously not looking past Pantoja, but I would love to defend my first title defence at home at Spark Arena, or Eden Park and stack the card with the best New Zealand and Australia talent," Kara-France said. "That's always been a dream of mine to win a world title and to defend back at home, defend the whenua."
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 317
Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 317 Brandon Royval and Manel Kape will square off in a potential title eliminator at UFC 317. Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape preview After their main event booking for UFC Fight Night 253 fell apart due to a Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) injury, the fight now comes together again on the main card of UFC 317. Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) remained in the headlining slot in March and faced replacement opponent Asu Almabayev. "Starboy" won the fight by third-round stoppage to record back-to-back wins. Kape has also won 6 of his last seven. Since falling short in his title opportunity against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296, Royval rebounded with back-to-back split decision wins over former champion Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira at UFC Fight Night 244. Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape odds According to DraftKings, Kape is a larger favorite than the previous booking for UFC Fight Night 253. Kape is now a sizable -298 favorite, when he was just -198. Royval is now a +240 underdog, who was previously listed at +164 going into the March booking. How to watch Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape at UFC 317
USA Today
02-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 253 post-event facts: Andrea Lee sets dubious losing skid record
The first of five UFC events in the month of March took place Saturday with UFC Fight Night 253, which went down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 10-fight lineup was capped off by a flyweight headliner. Manel Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) rose to the occasion of his first main event with the promotion with a third-round TKO of Asu Almabayev (21-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC). For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie's post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 253. * * * *
