Former RIZIN Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape won’t have his UFC debut just yet, as an ankle injury has ruled him out of competing on UFC’s August 15th pay-per-view show UFC 252. News of the injury was first broken by Mike Heck of MMA Fighting.
The status of Kape’s debut was up in the air previously as well, as his original opponent Rogerio Bontorin withdrew from the bout in July. Kape was set to fight in UFC’s flyweight division, a weight class he had competed in previously, although his previous fights were booked for a plethora of weight limits in-between 125 and 135 pounds.
Kape holds a three-fight winning streak from his long stint in Japanese promotion RIZIN Fighting Federation. His last fight was on New Year’s Eve in December, stopping Kai Asakura in the second round with strikes to become the new bantamweight champion.
With Kape out of the UFC 252 picture, here’s how the card looks.
Bout 7: Stipe Miocic (19-3) vs. Daniel Cormier (22-2) (UFC Heavyweight Championship)
Bout 6: Junior dos Santos (21-7) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruick (10-1) (Heavyweight)
Bout 5: Magomed Ankalaev (13-1) vs. Ion Cutelaba (15-5) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 4: Sean O’Malley (12-0) vs. Marlon Vera (17-6-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 3: Livia Renata Souza (13-2) vs. Ashley Yoder (7-5) (Strawweight)
Bout 2: Felice Herrig (14-8) vs. Virna Jandiroba (15-1) (Strawweight)
Bout 1: John Dodson (21-11) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (11-4) (Bantamweight)
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