Asu "Zulfiqar" Alma baev (21-2) is preparing for a historic fight in the UFC . He will be the first Kazakh to compete in the main event of Dana White's league. Ahead of the match, his opponent - Portuguese fighter Manel Kape (20-7) has made a series of statements, as reported by Vesti.kz .
Frequent Opponent Changes
It is worth noting that Kape was initially scheduled to fight American Brandon Royval (17-7), but he withdrew due to a concussion.
"All these fighters are pulling out, and I have to fight new faces every time," Kape said.
It should be reminded that the Kazakh fighter has had his opponent change three times. Initially, he was preparing to face Australian Steve Erceg (12-3). However, the UFC decided to separate them, organizing a more interesting matchup between Erceg and Mexican fighter Brandon Moreno (22-8).
After that, Alma baev was assigned Brazilian Allan Nascimento (20-6), and then the opportunity arose to fight the more renowned Kape. Thus, "Zulfiqar" changed his opponent once again.
Kape's Assessment of Alma baev
Despite the fact that the Portuguese is confident in his undisputed victory, he highly values Asu's skills.
"Honestly, without underestimating, I have no concerns about his style. I have seen it all before. I have been in this sport for a long time, and everything will be different in the octagon. I will put on a show. If he makes a mistake, I will capitalize on it.
After this fight, there will be no more refusals, no more talk. I should have been given the number one contender (Royval), but he pulled out. I believe Asu is an even stronger opponent. So winning against him will definitely put me in line for a title fight," the Portuguese added.
Kape's Fight Prediction
The upcoming tournament will be the first main event not only for the Kazakh but also for Kape himself. The latter also responded to Alma baev's statement that he would do everything possible every second to finish the fight in his favor.
"I knew this moment (main event) would come. I am a patient person and know that this is just the beginning. Everything will happen in the fight as it should.
I don’t know what finish he is talking about. He has only finished one fighter early in the UFC. The rest of his fights were won by decisions. I sincerely believe he is not a fighter for five rounds. When he gets to the third, his conditioning will already fade. This fight plays heavily in my favor, and everything will go on my terms. I will finish this fight in the fourth or fifth round," Kape told Athlon Sports .
Remember, Manel is ranked sixth in the UFC flyweight rankings, while Asu occupies the eighth position.
The fight between Kape and Alma baev will take place on March 2 and will headline the UFC Vegas 103 tournament in Las Vegas (USA).
Previously, the winner of the historic fight in the UFC Alma baev - Kape was announced. The star fighter also highlighted Alma baev's advantage over the top opponent in the UFC.
Asu Alma baev outperformed Shavkat Rakhmonov and made history in the UFC