According to Manel Kape and his coach, it was Muhammad Mokaev who didn’t want to wait until UFC 304 to throw hands.
The pair of top 125’ers are scheduled to do battle this Saturday night in a scrap that could present reigning flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja with his next challenger. But it’s become clear that there’s much more than title implications fueling this rivalry. Things finally reached a boiling on Wednesday as the two men encountered one another at the host hotel in Manchester.
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The incident comes months after a rumored confrontation at the UFC P.I. that allegedly left Mokaev a bloody mess.
Manel Kape Accuses Muhammad Mokaev of Premeditated Attack
Shortly after the altercation, Kape took to social media and labeled Mokaev as the instigator, claiming ‘The Punisher’ asked to take a picture with him before launching a premeditated attack.
“What kind of Muslim are you? You gave me Salam asked to take a picture and then tried to punch me in the betrayal, i can see now you are not a child of the (Dagestan), because there are created men you are just a poor bastard raised on a low income in Manchester without honor and principles,” Kape wrote on X.
“When I hit you in Vegas I went alone and I told you to be ready, I don’t hit men with their guard down or distracted or on the back. I thought everything was solved, but now the carnage will continue… Shaytan!”
What kind of Muslim are you? You gave me Salam asked to take a picture and then tried to punch me in the betrayal, i can see now you are not a child of the dagestao, because there are created men you are just a poor bastard raised on a low income in Manchester without honor and… pic.twitter.com/DorTl7VHkH
— マネル・ケイプ موسى Manel Kape (@ManelKape) July 25, 2024
Kape’s coach, Eric Nicksick, corroborated his fighter’s claim telling MMA Junkie that Mokaev asked to take a photo with Kape “for our Muslim brothers.” Kape agreed only to be attacked by Mokaev’s team moments later.
Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured in the scuffle.
Sitting as the No. 8 ranked contender in the flyweight division, Manel Kape has won his last four fights, the most recent being a unanimous decision victory over Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293 last September. With a win over the undefeated Mokaev, he’ll likely put himself in pole position for a title fight with Pantoja—assuming he can make weight.
