Manel Kape Shines with TKO Victory at UFC
Manel Kape stopped Asu Almabayev in the third round of UFC Fight Night 253, a March 1, 2025, main event at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The official result was a technical knockout at 2:16 of the round, ending Almabayev’s 17-fight winning streak. Kape’s striking and takedown defense shaped the bout, but a late eye-poke complaint became part of the post-fight discussion, so the finish needs to be reported with both the result and the controversy in view.
Kape controlled the striking exchanges
Kape entered the main event after a late change to the card. Brandon Royval had originally been scheduled to face him, but Royval withdrew and Almabayev stepped in for a major opportunity. UFC preview coverage described Almabayev as a ranked flyweight in strong form; the bout therefore gave Kape a difficult matchup against a contender known for applying pressure and seeking takedowns.
Once the fight began, Kape used movement, feints, and sharp counters to make Almabayev work to close the distance. He defended the Kazakh fighter’s takedown attempts and found openings with his hands. UFC’s official event recap described Kape as the superior striker and noted that he stopped all of Almabayev’s takedown attempts. Late in the first round, Kape opened a cut near Almabayev’s left eye, a visible sign of the damage accumulating through the striking exchanges.
The third-round stoppage and the eye-poke dispute
Kape continued to press in the second and third rounds, while Almabayev had difficulty turning his wrestling into sustained control. Replays later showed Kape’s fingers contacting Almabayev’s eye area in both the second and third rounds. In the third, Almabayev appeared to signal a foul as he retreated, but the referee did not pause the bout. Kape continued with punches until the referee stopped the fight at 2:16. UFC’s recap acknowledges the complaint about an uncalled eye poke, while MMA Fighting’s report says replays showed eye contact in rounds two and three. Kape later said the referee should decide when to pause for a foul and told reporters Almabayev had not appeared unable to continue. That was Kape’s account; it does not settle the debate over how the exchange was officiated.
The recorded result and the officiating debate are distinct parts of the bout. The official result remains a third-round TKO for Kape, while replay footage showing eye contact prompted questions about letting the fight continue. UFC’s recap gives the promotion’s account of the stoppage and Almabayev’s complaint.
What the win meant for Kape
The victory strengthened Kape’s case for a future flyweight title opportunity, but it did not guarantee one. He called for a championship fight after the bout, and the performance gave him a strong argument: he had handled a ranked opponent’s wrestling threat, landed the cleaner offense, and found a finish in the final round. UFC’s recap noted that the stoppage ended Almabayev’s 17-fight winning streak and highlighted Kape’s dominance in the striking exchanges.
For Almabayev, the loss was his first defeat since joining the UFC and the end of a long winning run. For Kape, it was a high-profile victory that brought him closer to the title conversation while also leaving a contentious moment for fans and analysts to debate. The most accurate takeaway is both straightforward and qualified: Kape earned the official stoppage win, and the uncalled eye-poke complaint remains part of the bout’s record.
Kape’s run continued
Kape followed the Almabayev win with two more high-profile stoppages. He knocked out Brandon Royval in the first round in December 2025, then stopped former rival Kyoji Horiguchi at 2:42 of round three on June 20, 2026. UFC’s official result confirms the Royval finish, and its Horiguchi scorecards record the later TKO. The sequence extended Kape’s winning momentum and strengthened his position in the flyweight title conversation. It also gives the March 2025 bout added significance: the Almabayev victory was the first step in a sustained run of stoppages against ranked opposition, rather than a single isolated breakthrough.
