Former Rizin bantamweight champion Manel Kape will look to instantly blast his way into title contention as he faces Top 10 opposition on his octagon debut.
Kape (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will take on No. 9-ranked flyweight contender Rogerio Bontorin at UFC 252, which is scheduled to take place on August 15 at a venue to be confirmed.
Kape recently confirmed the fight on his Facebook page after an initial report from Combate earlier this month.
After going 9-1 on the regional scene in Portugal, Kape built his name during a nine-fight stint with Japanese promotion Rizin FF. His tenure in Japan saw him go 6-3 with the promotion, with all six victories coming by way of stoppage. He arrives in the UFC’s flyweight division riding a three-fight win streak, with his most recent performance featuring an eye-catching second-round knockout of Kai Asakura as he captured the Rizin FF bantamweight title.
Now a UFC fighter, Kape will take on Bontorin (16-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who is looking to bounce back to form after suffering the second loss of his professional career. A graduate of the inaugural season of Dana White’s Contender Series, Bontorin picked up UFC victories over Magomed Bibulatov and Raulian Paiva before dropping a unanimous decision to former title challenger Ray Borg at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February.
UFC 252 takes place Saturday, August 15 at a venue to be confirmed. The card airs on ESPN+ pay per view following prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN.
The latest UFC 252 lineup now includes:
- Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier
- Livinha Souza vs. Ashley Yoder
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
- Felice Herrig vs. Virna Jandiroba
- Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Rogerio Bontorin vs. Manel Kape
- Zelim Imadaev vs. Laureano Staropoli
