UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad- Manel Kape vs Matheus Nicolau: Prediction and Analysis

Leon Edwards will fight Belal Muhammad in the main event of the UFC Fight Night 187 card this weekend at UFC’s Apex facility in Las Vegas. There are some other fun fights throughout the card as well. Rising star, Manel Kape, will fight Matheus Nicolau in an exciting flyweight match-up on the main card.

Kape, a former RIZIN FF fighter, made his UFC debut against Alexandre Pantoja in February. Though Kape lost the bout by unanimous decision, one might argue there were times in that fight where the Angolan fighter showed promise.

He could very well have won the fight had he made the most of the opportunities in favor of him. It was a good performance overall from the newcomer against an established flyweight contender like Pantoja.

The Brazilian, Nicolau, hasn’t competed since his 2019 decision win over Felipe Efrain. He will look to make a mark upon his return to the Octagon. The fight against Kape will be Nicoalu’s seventh UFC fight.

Also Read: UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad- Eryk Anders vs Darren Stewart: Prediction and Analysis

Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau in numbers

Kape has a professional record of 15-5. Out of his 15 wins, 14 (9 T/KO and 5 submissions) have come by finishes. The fighter who trains out of the famous AKA Thailand academy has never been finished by strikes in his professional career.

Nicolau, a promising Jackson-Wink MMA fighter, has a professional record of 15-2. The 28-year-old has 4 T/KO and 5 submission wins under his belt. Both his losses have come via T/KO, and his previous defeat came via a head kick knockout at the hands of Dustin Ortiz.

Nicolau has a questionable chin and that can be a cause of his downfall in the flyweight division, especially against a recognized striker against Kape. ‘Prodigio’ will look to start the fight fast and wear on Nicolau, who will be expected to take some time to clear the cobwebs of his recent Octagon inactivity.

This will be a great time for Kape to capitalize. And judging by his pedigree to put people to sleep, we pick Manel ‘Prodigio’ Kape to earn a knockout win over Matheus Nicolau in this exciting flyweight bout.

Final Prediction: Manel Kape by knockout.