UFC Vegas 52 Picks and Predictions: Hot Prospect of the Week Manel Kape (Archive)
Join us as we preview a hot UFC prospect from this week’s UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade MMA event.
Read on for our complete UFC in Vegas 52 betting guide – taking a first look at our hottest prospect of the week, Manel Kape and his opponent, Mudaerji Su. Including updated UFC odds and our free expert UFC betting picks.
UFC Fight Night Hot Prospect: Manel Kape (17-6-0)
Prior to his long-awaited UFC debut in February 2021, Portuguese native Manel Kape was touted as one of the hottest flyweight prospects in the world.
Formerly competing in the well reputable RIZIN MMA promotion, he held the bantamweight championship whilst competing there and has faced an elite level of competition for the majority of his professional career – despite joining the UFC during the latter stage of his MMA tenure.
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Born in Angola but raised in Portugal, Kape has spent the previous few years splitting his training into the United States with Mike Swick at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose and AKA Thailand in Phuket.
He originates from a boxing background but switched to complete mixed martial arts during his teenage years and is most known for his striking offense.
It’s safe to say, Kape was thrown to the wolves in his UFC debut when matched with Alexandre Pantoja, but this proves how the promotion had confidence in his title-contending ability. His split decision loss to Matheus Nicolau was a complete robbery, but he’s risen to the occasion by winning his previous two bouts inside the first round.
Manel Kape vs. Mudaerji Su
UFC Flyweight Main Card Bout
Saturday, April 23, 2022 – 08:05 PM EDT at UFC Apex
UFC in Vegas 52: Manel Kape Fight Analysis
As expected, the boxing output is crisp, technical, and extremely fast. He is a complete, well-rounded fighter, but it becomes evident that his best work is done on the feet when you study his fight tape.
One of Kape's most notable striking attributes is his ability to faint and draw out his opponent's counter-attacks; he tends to blitz in with extreme explosiveness with consistent combinations. Kape mixes up his head and body shots well and possesses some nasty leg strikes for good measure.
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The tendency to scrap is undoubtedly within his game, and despite being rocked, wobbled, and shook up inside the octagon, he's never been finished. His work rate is exceptionally high, and it's difficult to envision many flyweights outside of the top-10 giving him a run for his money.
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Su Betting Pick and Odds
Mudaerji Su (15-4-0) is another flyweight prospect whose fared well since joining the UFC. Stemming from a background in the Chinese martial art Sanda, he possesses a well-rounded skill set, but like Kape, he enjoys striking.
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The output and speed of Kape's shots and shot selection should overwhelm the challenger. I'd say the best opportunity for Su to succeed would be with a grappling approach, but I don't believe he has the wrestling offense to overcome the impressive sprawling defense of Kape.
UFC Vegas 52 Pick
This contest has Fight of the Night potential written all over it, but ultimately, the output and power of Kape will reign supreme for our UFC picks.
UFC Vegas 52 Pick: Manel Kape to Win ML (-180) [1.80u returns 1u] at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.