Manel Kape is officially off UFC 252.
Originally, the UFC newcomer was set to take on Rogerio Bontorin at the pay-per-view; however, Bontorin withdrew from the bout due to suffering an ankle injury. Despite his opponent being pulled from the event, Kape was still expected to compete on August 15.
Unfortunately, Kape has now been forced off the card for the same reason as the former Rizin Bantamweight Champion revealed to MMA Fighting that he also suffered an ankle injury. Thus far, it doesn’t appear that he’ll need surgery as the 26-year-old stated that doctors have told him to hold off on training for a month and then he’ll be reevaluated. Should his recovery go well, Kape hopes to make his return to the octagon in October.
Kape is currently in the midst of a three-fight winning streak. Mainly competing in Rizin Fighting Federation, the flyweight has beaten Seiichiro Ito (via TKO at Rizin 15), Takeya Mizugaki (via KO at Rizin 18), and Kai Asakura (via TKO at Rizin 20). His professional record currently stands at 15 wins and 4 losses.