Manel Kape may have earned a UFC flyweight title last night (Sat., Dec. 14, 2024) at UFC Tampa LIVE on ESPN2.ESPN+ from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, where he stopped streak finisher Bruno Silva with a nasty third-round TKO (body kick and punches).

Kape was a pretty big betting favorite in this flyweight bout. The former RIZIN bantamweight champion hasn’t quite lived up to his hype since entering the UFC in 2021, so Saturday’s high-profile performance against Silva was a perfect opportunity for “Starboy” to finally cash in.

Unfortunately for Kape, he took several low blows from Silva, who was eventually deducted a point. When he wasn’t getting kicked, Kape picked Silva apart on the feet and danced around the octagon to stay elusive. Silva is a player through and through, so he ate up almost every shot Kape could throw, but at some point it had to stop.

In the third round, Kape managed to land a brutal body kick (possibly hitting Silva in the groin) and then fired heavy punches to the body and head. Silva covered himself along the cage and had little to offer in response. The referee stepped in to save him and Kape walked away with the TKO victory.

Check out the video highlights below:

Kape, who lost a decision to former UFC fighter Muhammad Mokaev in July, entered Saturday’s contest believing he was one big performance away from a UFC title against current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. With this win over Silva and his resume under RIZIN, Kape could well be the champion’s next challenger.

After his win, Kape called out Pantoja and explained that no one does it as well as him in the flyweight division. Check it out below:

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WARTIME IN WORLD WEIGHT! The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX venue in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, November 9, 2024, with a key welterweight main event between a battle-tested veteran and a 15th-ranked contender Neil Magny as he takes on the rapidly growing phenomenon that is the “Contender Series.” Carlos Prates. Additionally, former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt returns to face Red-Hot Miles Johns in the hard-hitting co-headliner of UFC Vegas 100.

Don’t miss a single second of the breathtaking action!

For complete UFC Tampa results, coverage and highlights click here HERE.