Manel Kape’s rise to UFC flyweight title rivalry will as soon as once more have to attend.
UFC introduced Tuesday that Kape is out of his rescheduled UFC Vegas 91 major occasion towards Matheus Nicolau. In his stead, Nicolau is now set to face one-time title challenger Alex Perez in a brand new five-round major occasion.
The information marks the second time Kape vs. Nicolau has fallen by means of. The matchup was initially booked for Jan. 13 at UFC Vegas 84, however was cancelled after Kape missed weight by three and a half kilos the day previous to the occasion.
UFC Vegas 91 takes place April 27 on the UFC APEX.
Nicolau (19-3-1) hopes to rebound from his latest first-round knockout loss to Brandon Royval towards alternative foe Perez. The 31-year-old Brazilian is MMA Combating’s No. 11 ranked flyweight on this planet and holds notable wins over Kape, Tim Elliott, and John Moraga.
Perez (24-8) jumps again into the fray after struggling his third consecutive defeat in a unanimous resolution towards Muhammad Mokaev in March. A 32-year-old native of California, Perez is MMA Combating’s No. 12 ranked flyweight. He additionally suffered latest first-round stoppage losses to now-champion Alexandre Pantoja and ex-champ Deiveson Figueiredo.