The rematch between Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau won’t happen Saturday at UFC Fight Night 234, after all.
After Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) missed weight by 3.5 pounds for his scheduled flyweight co-headliner against Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the bout was called off.
UFC officials announced the news Friday after it has previously claimed Nicolau had agreed to accept a 25 percent fine of Kape’s purse and the bout would go on.
Manel Kape is the first UFC fighter to miss weight in 2024.
He was 3.5 pounds over the flyweight limit for his #UFCVegas84 rematch vs. Matheus Nicolau. pic.twitter.com/5vRUmdg7v7
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 12, 2024
The cancellation continues a difficult trend for Kape in recent years. He’s had eight fights called off since making his octagon debut in February 2021, with only six fights taking place.
He was attempting to avenge a unanimous decision loss from March 2021 against Nicolau, but now it will have to wait.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
