Things are heating up between Joshua Van and Manel Kape!! One of the biggest fights in the flyweight division was announced recently as Manel Kape will finally get his title shot against one of the sports biggest stars Joshua Van and this one will be spicy. It's no secret Manel Kape has been one to get on the mic and say things that are going to get the fans talking and now he has his eyes on Joshua Van. The two have been going back and forth with Van bringing up Kape's weight issues and the face he has pulled out before. We can confidently say, it's gonna be good.
Manel Kape has landed the flyweight title shot he has been chasing, with the UFC matching him against champion Joshua Van in what is shaping up to be one of the division's most heated fights.
The pairing follows weeks of back-and-forth between the two. Kape has built a reputation for talking on the mic, and he has now turned his attention to the champion. Van has answered by bringing up Kape's past weight issues and a face Kape has pulled before. The animosity is already well established.
Van, 25, is the reigning flyweight champion and holds an 18-2 record. The Myanmar native, who trains at 4oz. Fight Club, lands 8.26 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy. His title run has been dominant. He stopped Alexandre Pantoja in the first round at UFC 323 in December 2025, finished Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round at UFC 328 in May, and then beat Pantoja by unanimous decision in a five-round rematch at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026. That is three straight title-fight wins.
Kape, 32, arrives as the number two-ranked flyweight with a 23-7 record. The Angolan southpaw, who trains at Xtreme Couture, has won three in a row by knockout or TKO in his most recent recorded fights. He stopped Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round on June 20, 2026, finished Brandon Royval in the first round in December 2025, and stopped Asu Almabayev in the third round in March 2025.
Why it matters
- Van owns a clear volume edge on paper: 8.26 significant strikes landed per minute against Kape's 4.68, a gap of 3.58 per minute.
- Both fighters stand five-foot-five, but Kape has a three-inch reach advantage, 68 inches to Van's 65.
- Kape's last three wins have all been stoppages, while Van has now gone the distance with a five-round decision in his latest defense.
- Kape is seven years older than Van, 32 to 25.
The numbers set up a contrast in styles. Van is the high-output, accurate striker, while Kape is a southpaw whose recent record is built on finishing fights, and the verbal sparring has only added to the intrigue.
Manel Kape vs Joshua Van
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