Manel Kape vs. Alex Perez added to UFC San Antonio
An exciting flyweight bout pitting Manel Kape vs. Alex Perez has been added to the upcoming UFC San Antonio event.
MMAFighting.com first reported the Kape vs. Perez fight, which is set to take place at the UFC San Antonio card on March 25, 2023.
Kape (18-6) is the No. 9 ranked flyweight in the UFC. The Angolan-born fight is 3-2 overall in the UFC. He lost his first two fights by close decisions to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau before bouncing back with three straight wins over Ode Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and David Dvorak. He is a former champion in RIZIN and came to the UFC with high expectations. Though he struggled at first, he has turned things around in recent fights and looks like a contender again.
Perez (24-7) is the No. 6 ranked flyweight in the UFC. The 30-year-old American has been in the UFC since 2017 and his record in the promotion is 6-3. However, he is coming off two straight losses to the aforementioned Pantoja and Figueiredo. Moreover, he has pulled out of several recent fights and it has been a struggle just to get into the Octagon. That being said, when he is healthy, he is one of the best flyweights in the world and is still ranked in the top 10, so a win over Kape would be massive for his career.
Overall, this is an excellent matchup between two of the top-10-ranked flyweights in the UFC. The winner of this fight will take a giant step toward title contention at 125lbs. With the belt being on the line at UFC 283 in January between champion Deiveson Figueiredo and challenger Brandon Moreno, the winner of Kape vs. Perez will put themselves in a good position to challenge for the title by the end of 2023.
Who do you think wins this flyweight bout between Manel Kape and Alex Perez?
