Manel Kape Bio
Manuel Pedro Gomes, widely known by his ring name Manel Kape, is an Angolan-born Portuguese professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Nicknamed “Starboy,” he has competed professionally since 2012 and is the former Rizin Bantamweight Champion and the former Knock Out Championship Bantamweight Champion. As of mid-December 2025, he is ranked among the top contenders in the UFC flyweight division and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting strikers in the 125-pound class.
Born in Luanda, Angola, and now based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kape brings an aggressive, forward-pressure style that has produced a high knockout ratio across regional and international promotions. A professional black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he combines sharp striking with capable grappling, and he currently trains with AKA Thailand. His career has spanned promotions in Portugal, France, Japan, and the United States, building a résumé that bridges European, Asian, and major North American mixed martial arts scenes.
Early Life and Background
Manuel Pedro Gomes was born on November 14, 1993, in Luanda, Angola, and holds Angolan-Portuguese nationality. He later relocated to Porto, Portugal, where he grew up and began his athletic development. Standing 5 feet 5 inches tall with a 68-inch reach, Kape was a compact, athletic teenager whose early sporting focus turned toward combat sports during his adolescent years.
Before entering mixed martial arts, Kape competed in several amateur boxing matches, all of which took place prior to his first professional MMA bout at the age of 14. This boxing foundation shaped his hands, footwork, and comfort trading on the feet, traits that remain central to his fighting identity. By the time he was 17, he had transitioned fully into mixed martial arts and was ready for his professional debut.
Path to MMA
Kape made his professional mixed martial arts debut at 17 with the Portuguese promotion Cage Fighters. At Cage Fighters 2, he faced Artur Gomes and won by first-round TKO, immediately signaling his finishing potential. He followed that with a 45-second TKO of Renato Ferreira at Cage Fighters – Challengers Norte 1, a first-round submission win over Ricardo Teixeira via rear naked choke, and a unanimous decision over Marco Santos at Cage Fighters 3, building an undefeated regional record.
He then moved to the French-based Knock Out Championship (KOC), where he suffered his first professional loss to Souksavanh Khampasath via rear naked choke. He rebounded with a flying-knee knockout of Hicham Rachid at Invictus 1, a verbal tapout win over Daniel Barez at Ansgar Fighting League 2, and a first-round rear naked choke of Miguel Valverde at Invictus 2. He capped his KOC run by capturing the KOC Bantamweight Title with a fourth-round armbar of Antoine Gallinaro, then added a third-round TKO of Francisco Javier Asprilla. A scheduled BAMMA 22 booking and a pair of KOC title defenses fell through, leading to a two-year competitive hiatus.
Manel Kape Career
Early Career (2012–2017)
Between 2012 and 2017, Kape built a foundation in European regional mixed martial arts, compiling finishes across Cage Fighters, KOC, and Invictus Fight Series events. He debuted at flyweight before settling into the bantamweight division, where his power and pace proved difficult for opponents to neutralize. His growing reputation was tied directly to his finishing rate, with knockouts and submissions dominating his win column.
His breakout regional moment came when he captured the KOC Bantamweight Championship. That title established him as a bantamweight of note across Europe, even as several high-profile bookings across BAMMA and KOC were canceled during a frustrating stretch. The cancellations ultimately nudged him toward a fresh start in Asia.
Rizin Fighting Federation Breakthrough (2018–2019)
Returning from a two-year hiatus, Kape signed with Japan-based Rizin Fighting Federation and entered the Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix. He announced himself with a 71-second left head-kick knockout of Erson Yamamoto at Rizin 6, a win that turned heads despite a debatable early stoppage. He followed that with a doctor-stoppage TKO of former Tachi Palace flyweight champion Ian McCall following a weigh-in altercation, then pushed then-champion Kyoji Horiguchi to the limit before losing a third-round arm-triangle choke in the Grand Prix semifinals.
He dropped a split decision to Kai Asakura at Rizin 10 in a fight later nominated as MMA Junkie Fight of the Month, then bounced back with a third-round rear naked choke of Yusaku Nakamura at Rizin 13. After a unanimous decision loss to Ulka Sasaki, he stopped Seiichiro Ito with a second-round body-shot KO at Rizin 15, then starched 14-fight UFC veteran Takeya Mizugaki with a second-round uppercut and right hook at Rizin 18. When Horiguchi vacated the Rizin bantamweight title, Kape rematched Asakura, won by second-round TKO, claimed the vacant Rizin Bantamweight Championship, and earned an Asian MMA Fighter of the Year nomination.
UFC Era (2020–Present)
On March 30, 2020, Kape announced a four-fight UFC deal, becoming the first Portuguese-Angolan fighter signed to the promotion. Multiple UFC bookings fell through due to opponent injuries, illness, weight-cutting issues, and a 2022 USADA flagged substance finding for a DHCMT metabolite below the violation threshold, which led to a six-month Nevada State Athletic Commission monitoring program. Through it all, Kape kept competing and stacking signature wins.
He debuted with a unanimous decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov, then dropped a controversial split decision to Matheus Nicolau at UFC Fight Night 187, a result in which 21 of 21 media outlets scored the bout for Kape. His first UFC win came in explosive fashion: a first-round flying-knee knockout of Ode’ Osbourne at UFC 265, fought at a 129-pound catchweight. He followed that with a first-round TKO of Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC on ESPN 31 and a hard-fought unanimous decision over David Dvořák at UFC Fight Night 216.
At UFC 293, Kape replaced an injured Kai Kara-France and outpointed Felipe dos Santos to earn his first Fight of the Night bonus. After a canceled rematch with Nicolau and a unanimous decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304, he rebounded with a third-round TKO of Bruno Gustavo da Silva at UFC on ESPN 63. In 2025, he stopped Asu Almabayev with a third-round body-kick TKO at UFC Fight Night 253 to claim a Performance of the Night award, then finished former title challenger Brandon Royval with a first-round knockout at UFC on ESPN 73 on December 13, 2025, earning another Performance of the Night award.
Style and Strengths
Kape is a pressure-based striker with a deep amateur boxing foundation, sharp in-and-out footwork, and finishing power in both hands and knees. He pairs that offense with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, allowing him to threaten submissions when opponents look to survive his striking. Training out of AKA Thailand alongside elite international talent, he has refined a high-volume, finish-oriented style built for the UFC flyweight elite.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his most memorable moments are his 71-second Rizin Grand Prix debut knockout, his trash-talk fueled title-winning TKO of Kai Asakura, his first-round flying-knee finish of Ode’ Osbourne in the UFC, and his first-round knockout of Brandon Royval in December 2025. He has also earned multiple UFC post-fight bonuses, including Fight of the Night and back-to-back Performance of the Night awards.
Manel Kape Career Wins
Across his professional career, Kape has compiled a record of 23 wins against 7 losses, with 15 knockouts, 2 submissions, and 5 decisions. His stoppage-heavy résumé includes championship-winning finishes in both European and Japanese promotions, as well as high-profile UFC knockouts that have moved him into title contention.
Rizin Highlights
During his Rizin run, Kape captured the vacant Rizin Bantamweight Championship with a second-round TKO of Kai Asakura, the capstone of a run that included KO wins over Yamamoto, Mizugaki, and Ito. He also pushed former Rizin champion Kyoji Horiguchi to the limit in the Grand Prix semifinals and earned a 2018 Asian MMA Fighter of the Year nomination.
UFC Highlights
In the UFC, Kape has recorded notable wins over Ode’ Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, David Dvořák, Felipe dos Santos, Bruno Gustavo da Silva, Asu Almabayev, and Brandon Royval. His post-fight bonuses include a Fight of the Night award against dos Santos and Performance of the Night awards against Almabayev and Royval.
Manel Kape Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Kape’s parents and immediate family is limited, and he has not publicly detailed a multi-generational combat sports lineage. His Angolan birthplace and Portuguese upbringing shaped a bicultural identity that he has carried into his professional career.
Personal Life
Kape splits his training between AKA Thailand and his residence in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is professionally known by the nickname “Starboy,” a moniker that has followed him from regional European cards to the UFC’s biggest flyweight stages.
2025 Season Performance
Kape’s 2025 campaign reinforced his status as a top UFC flyweight contender. After stopping Asu Almabayev with a third-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 253 in March, he added a Performance of the Night bonus and pushed deeper into title contention.
A scheduled June rematch with Brandon Royval at UFC 317 was scratched after Kape suffered a broken foot, but the pairing was rebooked for December 13, 2025, at UFC on ESPN 73, where Kape delivered a first-round knockout to extend his winning streak and claim another Performance of the Night award. The finish pushed him into the upper tier of the flyweight rankings and set up a marquee rematch with Kyoji Horiguchi in 2026, signaling clear momentum toward a potential UFC Flyweight Championship opportunity.
