UFC Vegas 84: Manel Kape vs. Matheus Nicolau is off; Kape says Nicolau turned down a catchweight fight.
Due to Kape’s missed weight, the co-main event of UFC Vegas 84 between Matheus Nicolau and Manel Kape has been canceled, the UFC or Nevada Athletic Commission told MMA Fighting on Friday.
It is 126 pounds in a non-title flyweight fight, but Kape was 3.5 pounds too heavy. The UFC source said it’s not clear yet if the fight will be moved to a different date.
When MMA Fighting first announced the fight, it was said to be a catchweight match where Kape would give Nicolau 25% of his pay. The fight has been called off, though.
Kape and Nicolau fought again after their first fight at UFC Vegas 21 in March 2021. Nicolau won by split decision.
Kape has now missed dimensions twice for a flyweight fight. For his fight with Ode Osbourne in August 2021, he weighed three pounds too much.
A lightweight fight between Jim Miller along Gabriel Benitez has been moved up to the co-main event spot to UFC Vegas 84’s opener, a light heavyweight title battle between Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev. The fight happens at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, and ESPN+ shows it.
So, what about the co-main event of UFC Vegas 84? It’s not on. Kape didn’t make weight, so Nicolau and Manel Kape didn’t get to fight.
Officials from the UFC and Nevada Athletic Commission told MMA Fighting on Friday that this is what they knew.
Kape was 3.5 pounds too heavy. No way, that’s too heavy for a non-title flyweight fight, which is 126 pounds.
Will there be a new date for the fight? The UFC is still not sure. Kape later gave some more information.
Two weeks beforehand the fight, he was sick. Aside from that, he said Nicolau would not agree with a catchweight fight.
MMA Fighting first said that the fight was going to continue. Kape was going to give Nicolau 25% of his total purse in exchange for a catchweight fight. Nope, it has been thrown out.
This is not good to look for the previous RIZIN king, who has won four straight fights and is now a candidate.
After joining the UFC, Kape lost his first two fights to tough opponents Alexandre Pantoja as well as Nicolau.
This was Kape’s chance to get back at Nicolau for beating him and maybe even go after Pantoja for beating him, but the cancellation calls that plan into question.
At UFC Vegas 84, the main event is another rematch: Johnny Walker, a loud Brazilian, fights Magomed Ankalaev.
They fought beforehand at UFC 294 to October 2023, but Ankalaev’s illegal knee ended the fight early.
Ankalaev has fought for the title before, drawing with Jan Blachowicz in 2022, so the light heavyweight main event should have title fight implications. Walker is also on a steady path to becoming a real challenger.
After UFC Vegas 84 is over, there should be some changes in both the lighter heavyweight as well as flyweight divisions.
If Manel Kape didn’t make weight in the co-main event fight at UFC Vegas 84, Matheus Nicolau yelled at him.
Kape broke the non-title flyweight limit in 126 pounds by 3.5 pounds. It’s still not clear if the fight will be moved to a different date.
The fight with Manel Kape is being scrapped, which is bad news for MMA fans, my friends, and of course me and my whole team. Manel Kape is the only one to blame because he has been careless throughout the whole thing.
Kape and Nicolau fought again after their first fight at UFC Vegas 21 in March 2021, which the Brazilian won by split decision.
Kape has now missed weight twice in flyweight matches. During a fight against Ode Osbourne in August 2021, he went over the limit by three pounds.
Fans did not agree with Manel Kape’s offer to give Matheus Nicolau 25% of his fight fee and his attempt to blame the Brazilian for disagreeing with a catchweight bout. Fans had different responses to these actions.