MMA Preview – Manel Kape vs Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293
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MANEL KAPE VS FELIPE DOS SANTOS FACTS
When is UFC 293? Sunday 10th September, 2023 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 293? Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, New South Wales (Aus)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 293? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 293
What channel is UFC 293 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC 293? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
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!
MANEL KAPE VS FELIPE DOS SANTOS LOWDOWN
Manel Kape (18-6) has found the form that got him to the dance. He was coming off three knockouts for Rizin before his UFC debut but got handed two tough fights to start his account losing decisions. He met the current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (2021) and Matheus Nicolau (2021) to set him back, but now he is coming off three quality wins. He erased Ode Osbourne (2021) with a stunning flying knee before TKOing Zhalgas Zhumagulov (2021) and is coming off a solid unanimous decision win over David Dvorak (2022)
He was scheduled to fight Kai Kara-France who had to pull out after suffering a concussion in training. His loss is Felipe dos Santos’ (7-0) gain who puts his unbeaten record on the line for his UFC debut. He had two fights on the Contender Series fall through this year so understandably has pounced on the opportunity and is coming off his biggest win to date outpointing Hugo Paiva (2022) for LFA.
MANEL KAPE VS FELIPE DOS SANTOS PREDICTION
Kape is understandably the favourite, but this is a tough fight for him. Dos Santos hails from the Chute Boxe gym, so will be very aggressive and there is less on the line for taking the fight on short notice. Kape is expected to win, but he needs to respect the weapons of the Brazilian.
Dos Santos is a dangerous striker who will attempt to walk Kape down enforcing his pressure. As long as Kape keeps his defence tight, he has the skill to punish him as he walks in. Expect him to bounce in and out of range waiting for dos Santos to throw and leave himself open.
We expect the Portuguese native to avoid the heavy shots and time his counters and takedowns. Dos Santos’ youth and aggression should make this a fun fight, but it will fall right into Kape’s hands who has the power to land a knockout or shut him down with his wrestling.
Prediction: Kape via KO/TKO
