ALEXANDRE PANTOJA VS MANEL KAPE FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 18? Saturday 6th January, 2021 – 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 18? UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 18? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 18 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 18? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
ALEXANDRE PANTOJA VS MANEL KAPE LOWDOWN
Alexandre Pantoja (22-5) wants to climb his way up towards a title shot and would like nothing more than to avenge his loss to Deiveson Figueiredo for it. Pantoja strung three great wins over Brandon Moreno, Ulka Sasaki and Wilson Reis before losing a unanimous decision to the current champ in what was the ‘fight of the night’ at UFC 240. He responded with a brilliant knockout over Matt Schnell but an Askar Askarov shaped bump in the road appeared with the Russian earning a unanimous decision.
Manuel Kape (15-4) makes his UFC debut adding to the flyweight division that has really grown in talent and excitement in the last couple years. Kape has made a name for himself over in Rizin but he did not get to fight last year. His last loss came to one of Pantoja’s scalps, Sasaki in 2018 but Kape has gone on a tear since knocking out Seiichiro Ito, Takeya Mizugaki and Kai Asakura to claim the vacant bantamweight title.
ALEXANDRE PANTOJA VS MANEL KAPE PREDICTION
The Askarov loss was a big setback for Pantoja but Askarov is the dark horse in the division and will surely be a future title contender. Kape is a good fighter and there is no doubting his knockout ability, but this is a huge step-up in competition.
The odds are stacked against Kape making his UFC debut after not fighting for over a year, but he has a great chance in causing the upset. He has decent ground skills and is lethal on the feet, so this is a close match-up on paper.
Pantoja’s experience will be important here, we know he has excellent technique on the feet and he is comfortable in a brawl as we saw in the Schnell fight but he has to respect Kape’s power and speed. His diverse attacks will cause problems, but Pantoja has the tools and nous to secure a decision at least.
Prediction: Pantoja via Decision – CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)