Flyweight bout between Alex Perez and Manel Kape cancelled at UFC on ESPN 43
Alex Perez vs Manel Kape Cancelled
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to us tonight, March 25, 2023, for UFC on ESPN 43, going down live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, where we were expected to see a flyweight clash between Alex Perez and Manel Kape.
Headlining the event was a bantamweight showdown between a pair of dangerous finishers in no. 3 ranked Marlon Vera (20-7-1) and no. 5 ranked Cory Sandhagen (15-4).
Co-headlining was also a bantamweight clash, this one coming between former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm (14-6) and former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Yana Santos (14-6, 1 NC).
Unfortunately for us fight fans, our second bout scheduled on the main card tonight between former Rizin bantamweight champion Manel Kape (18-6) and former TPF flyweight champion Alex Perez (24-7) has been cancelled due to undisclosed medical issues suffered by Perez.
This was to be each mans first fight this year in 2023, and it was expected to be one of the most exciting clashes of the entire night. One could only hope the UFC decides to rebook this match up.
No. 9 ranked Kape came in tonight on a three-fight win streak following back-to-back defeats in his UFC debut and sophomore effort with the promotion, and no. 6 ranked Perez came in on a two-fight skid, though those two losses came to former champion Deiveson Figueiredo in a title fight, and then no. 2 ranked Alexandre Pantoja last July.
This is truly unfortunate; Perez has fought just one time since 2020 due to many fight cancellations, and Kape went into his latest bout last December following a year long layoff, also due to a number of his fight bookings being cancelled.
Of Manel Kape’s 18 wins, 11 come via knockout with 5 submissions and just 2 decisions, while of Perez’ 24 wins, 5 come via knockout with 7 submissions and 12 decisions.
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