Van became champion at UFC 323 after Alexandre Pantoja suffered a freak injury just seconds into the opening round. While it’s almost a certainty that Pantoja gets an immediate title shot upon his return, he still hasn’t received a full diagnosis on his injuries to know for certain when he’ll be able to compete again.

Welcome to the Manel Kape show. In case UFC fans didn't get the memo during the main event of UFC Vegas 112, Kape (22-7 MMA) put the division on notice with a first-round TKO against former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval to put a bow on the 2025 promotional calendar.

The UFC flyweight division has a completely new face. With Alexandre Pantoja stripped of his highly coveted title and sidelined by a serious injury, Joshua Van is now the

This past Saturday the premier promotion returned to the Apex for the final event of the year with UFC Vegas 112, headlined by Manel Kape vs Brandon Royval.

LAS VEGAS – Manel Kape doesn't view new UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van as a difficult opponent. Even though the UFC 323 co-main event ended promptly due to an injury to Alexandre Pantoja just 26 seconds into the fight, Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) views Van (16-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) as the rightful champion – even if the fight didn't play out normally.

Following his UFC Vegas 112 win over Brandon Royval, Manel Kape had some fiery words for flyweight champion Joshua Van.