- The flyweight fight between Manel Kape and Asu Almabayev headlines the UFC Fight Night on March 1 in Las Vegas.
- Kape is coming off a win in his previous match, while Almabayev is still undefeated in the UFC.
- Kape is the -200 betting favorite, and Almabayev is the +170 betting underdog.
Two ranked flyweight contenders will headline the UFC Fight Night card on March 1, as the No. 6-ranked contender Manel Kape takes on the No. 8-rated challenger Asu Almabayev inside the APEX Center in Las Vegas.
Fresh off a win from his previous fight, Kape heads into the match as the betting favorite with -200 UFC odds. Meanwhile, despite being undefeated under the Las Vegas-based promotion, Almabayev will be the +170 betting underdog at BetMGM’s online sportsbook.
Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev Odds
- Manel Kape: -200
- Asu Almabayev: +170
Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev: Prediction
I predict that Kape will secure a unanimous decision win over Almabayev because of his superior striking and decent takedown defense. Add the fact that he has incredible cardio to go a full five rounds.
Kape heads into the match with an inch of height, 3 inches of reach, and 3 inches of leg reach advantage over Almabayev. This will all be crucial during the match since Kape is expected to use his striking to inflict damage and score points on the judges’ scorecards.
Although Kape’s takedown defense was exposed during his fight with Mokaev, where he was taken down multiple times, I still think that his 77% overall takedown defense can still hold up against the 50% takedown accuracy of Almabayev.
If he successfully stops the majority of the takedowns and tires out Almabayev, then he could punish him with his vicious strikes, especially since this match is contested in a five-round contest.
Meanwhile, the key for the Kazakh contender is to secure an early takedown in the first two rounds, when both of them are still dry with less sweat to prevent Kape from escaping his submission attempts.
Almabayev should also keep the fight at a close distance to neutralize the reach and leg reach advantages of Kape. Furthermore, he must fight smart and preserve his energy through five rounds.
Manel Kape Recent Fight Results
Kape was a former RIZIN champion before signing with the UFC in 2021. He started off his promotional journey with back-to-back losses to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau before going on a four-fight win streak.
During this stretch, the Angolan-Portuguese star defeated Ode’ Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, David Dvorak, and Felipe dos Santos. In his last two outings inside the octagon, he split his fights with Muhammad Mokaev (loss in July) and Bruno Silva (win in December).
Asu Almabayev Recent Fight Results
Almabayev was a former M-1 and NFC champion with a wealth of experience in competing in several organizations before earning a roster spot in the UFC in August 2023. During his debut, he submitted Osbourne in the second round of their match.
Since that win, he racked up three more victories at the expense of CJ Vergara, Jose Johnson, and most recently, Nicolau to crack a spot in the division’s top 10 rankings and set up this match with Kape.
Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev: Tale of the Tape
| Manel Kape | Asu Almabayev | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 31 | 31 |
| Height | 5’5” | 5’4” |
| Reach | 68 inches | 65 inches |
| Leg Reach | 39 inches | 36 inches |
| Record | 20-7 | 21-1 |
| Fighting Style | MMA | Jiu-Jitsu |
| Finishing Rate | 85% | 57% |
Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev Fight Card
- Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev, flyweight fight
- Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez, middleweight fight
- Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics, lightweight fight
- Austen Lane vs. Mario Pinto, heavyweight fight
- Hyder Amil vs. William Gomis, featherweight fight
- Danny Barlow vs. Sam Patterson, welterweight fight
- Ricardo Ramos vs. Chepe Mariscal, featherweight fight
- Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. John Castaneda, bantamweight fight
- Andrea Lee vs. JJ Aldrich, women’s flyweight fight
- Danny Silva vs. Lucas Almeida, featherweight fight
- Montana de la Rosa vs. Luana Carolina, women’s flyweight fight
- Charles Johnson vs. Ramazan Temirov, flyweight fight
