Manel Kape has now finished four consecutive opponents by KO/TKO, defeating Bruno Silva, Asu Almabayev, Brandon Royval, and Kyoji Horiguchi. The run has raised serious questions about whether a flyweight title shot is next for the Portuguese finisher.
Manel Kape has made an undeniable case for flyweight title contention after stopping four straight opponents by knockout or TKO, a run that includes victories over Bruno Silva, Asu Almabayev, Brandon Royval, and Kyoji Horiguchi. The streak has prompted growing calls for the UFC to reward the Portuguese finisher with a shot at the division's title.
Kape, who fights out of Xtreme Couture, carries a 23-7-0 record and sits sixth in the flyweight rankings at 32 years old. Born in Angola, the southpaw stands five-foot-five with a 68-inch reach and has built a reputation as one of the division's most dangerous strikers, landing 4.68 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate — a combination that speaks to both volume and precision.
Among those he has dispatched in the streak, Brandon Royval represented the stiffest test on paper. Ranked third at flyweight, the Factory X product carries a 17-9-0 record and is himself a high-output striker, averaging 5.54 significant strikes per minute, along with 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Getting through Royval — an opponent who brings genuine finishing threats on the feet and on the ground — adds considerable weight to Kape's title shot argument.
Bruno Silva, ranked 12th at flyweight at 36 years old, also fell during the streak. The six-foot orthodox fighter known as Blindado averages 3.86 significant strikes per minute and was a credible name on Kape's record.
Why it matters
- Kape's win over third-ranked Royval is the defining result of the streak and a direct claim on a top-two matchup or title opportunity
- Four consecutive KO/TKO finishes is rare at any level of the sport and signals a fighter operating at peak confidence and power
- At sixth in the rankings before these results are fully reflected, the division's landscape may shift significantly around Kape's next assignment
