Kape Says Van's Inexperience Will Let Him Finish Early

Manel Kape thinks he knows how to beat Joshua Van. He says the UFC flyweight champion makes mistakes that previous opponents have failed to exploit.

Kape challenges Van (18-2) for the 125-pound title at UFC 336 on January 30, 2027, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Angolan contender arrives on a four-fight finishing streak.

"The game plan is very easy"

The UFC posted about the matchup on October 24 and said the card will stream live on Paramount+. Its announcement post read: "SOME FIGHTS JUST MAKE SENSE."

In an interview, Kape conceded that Van can box and can take a punch. He still sees openings, and he argues that Van's relatively short time in the sport is the reason for them.

"The game plan is very easy," Kape said. "I know a lot of mistakes he had for the lack of experience, for not being too long in this sport, and I just think that so many guys didn't exploit that."

He believes he can trade with Van in boxing exchanges without being drawn into a brawl. "I can see things that can make me going for the finish early than I expect," Kape said. "So, I'm definitely going to surprise him, and then I can tell it's going to be frustrating because he likes to have these brawl fights."

Kape, nicknamed "Starboy," says he will set the tempo. "We're not going to get to that position because I'm going to dictate the pace," he said. "I'm going to dictate when we should go brawl, when we should go slow, and then when I can change the tempo of the fight."

He also had a warning for the champion. Kape said Van should not get overconfident after winning the belt, because Kape claims the edge in both experience and skill.

Source: Sherdog