Originally scheduled to fight former title challenger Brandon Royval, who withdrew due to a concussion, Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) showed he belongs near the top of the weight class when he defeated the surging Asu Almabayev (21-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) by third-round TKO on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The replay of Manel Kape's eye poke to Asu Almabayev is making its way across social media in the aftermath of the UFC Vegas 103 main event.

Manel Kape made a statement, securing a third-round TKO victory over Asu Almabayev and potentially cementing his position as the next challenger for Alexandre Pantoja's flyweight crown.