UFC signs RIZIN champ Manel Kape to multi-fight deal

Manel Kape is headed to the UFC.

RIZIN bantamweight champion Kape (15-4 MMA, 0-0 (FC) has signed a four-fight deal with the UFC. Kape’s team, AKA Thailand, confirmed the news Monday after an initial report by Combate.

Kape arrived on the national spotlight in the RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2017. After he defeated Erson Yamamoto with a 71-second head-kick knockout, he was matched up with former UFC flyweight title challenger Ian McCall in the second round of the tournament.

At the pre-fight weigh-ins, Kape and McCall engaged in a physical altercation. After Kape slapped McCall in the back of the head, McCall fired back. The scuffle built the hype around the fight, which Kape ultimately won by first-round doctor’s stoppage due to a cut.

From there, Kape lost three out of four fights to Kyoji Horiguchi, Kai Asakura and Ulka Sasaki. In April 2019, Kape kicked off a three-fight winning streak with a second-round TKO of Seiichiro Ito. At RIZIN 18 in August, Kape finished Takeya Mizugaki by strikes.

In his most recent outing, Kape avenged a past loss. At RIZIN 20 in December, Kape knocked out Asakura with punches in Round 2. The win earned him the RIZIN title and ultimately segued into his UFC deal.

No date or opponent for Kape’s debut is known at this time.