Kape Eyes Title Shot After UFC Tampa Win Over Silva
At the December 14, 2024 Tampa event, Kape stopped Silva by strikes at 1:57 of round three. Afterward, he called for a flyweight title opportunity against then-champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Kape’s call followed a third-round stoppage
The official result lists the finish at 1:57 of round three. In the post-fight interview, Kape addressed Pantoja and asked for a championship bout. That was his request after the win, not a confirmed booking or guarantee of a title shot.
The official event result and athlete profile document the bout. The embedded interview captures Kape’s post-fight call.
Sources: Official event result · Kape’s official athlete profile · Post-fight interview
A return to winning form
The Tampa victory followed Kape’s unanimous-decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 in July 2024. That earlier result had interrupted his progress in the flyweight division, so finishing Silva gave his post-fight championship appeal a concrete result to point to. It also meant his two appearances that year ended with one defeat and one victory.
Kape had already demonstrated different ways of winning inside the UFC. His record includes a first-round stoppage of Zhalgas Zhumagulov in December 2021 and a three-round unanimous decision over David Dvorak in December 2022. The Silva finish added another stoppage to that record, this time deep into a bout scheduled for three rounds.
For the title discussion, the distinction between performance and matchmaking matters. Tampa supplied evidence of Kape’s finishing ability and a platform for his challenge to Pantoja. The interview documents his ambition at that moment; the official result establishes what he accomplished in the cage. Together they explain why the win became part of his case for a championship opportunity.
