LAS VEGAS — Manel Kape believes Joshua Van doesn’t want the smoke.
Now, in a title fight, Kapp (22-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) feels like a huge threat to Van’s newly crowned UFC flyweight title. “Starboy” extended his winning streak and furthered his pursuit of a title shot at 125 pounds with a quick win over longtime contender and former title challenger Brandon Royval (17-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 73 event at UFC Apex.
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“He’s scared, he’s scared already,” Kapp told reporters at the postgame news conference. “He knew it was going to go down, you know what? He knew. He didn’t say anything because he knew I was going to go down and I was going to have a hard time coming. 2026, I’m going to have a hard time coming, you know? … I’m going to eat, sleep, think about him every day, believe me. Every day. Until I win that gold medal, I’m going to be thinking about him every day. He’s going to sleep and dream about me. I’m going to be his worst nightmare in life.”
Kapp is currently on a three-fight win streak and has a 7-1 record in his past eight Octagon appearances. If Alexandre Pantoja, who suffered an arm injury in his title loss to Van at UFC 323 earlier this month, is unable to get an immediate rematch, he will fight Japan’s Tatsuro Taira for the next belt.
Ping is currently on a two-fight win streak, his last victory being a TKO over former champion Brandon Moreno. His only career loss came in 2024, when he lost a split decision to Roy Val. Kapp believes beating Royval was the key to this title picture.
“If anyone says that, they don’t know anything about math, because two plus two is not six, it’s four,” Karp said when asked who thinks Ping is worthy of replacing him. “Brandon Royval just beat Ping Darang and he broke him mentally and physically. I beat Brandon Royval in one round. Do the math.”
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As for returning, Kapp has organized his schedule so that he’s available when the UFC needs him. He is ready and willing to fight for the belt today.
“As soon as possible. As soon as possible. As soon as possible,” Karp said. “I want to feel that way again. The way I feel now, I want to feel that way because the fight isn’t over yet. The celebration will be when I get the belt and then I’ll celebrate. So the sooner the better. The UFC wants to book me and I’ll be there and I’ll show up and I’ll win and get the belt. I’m not injured and the fight is quick so I’m ready to go again.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Manel Kape on seeing himself beat Joshua Van: ‘He’s already scared’