Israel Adesanya discovered ongoing animosity with Manel Kape after Kape insulted him during a post-fight speech, despite Adesanya’s admiration for Kape’s impressive performance at UFC Tampa.
Israel Adesanya discovered there’s still some tension between him and Manel Kape.
The two-time UFC middleweight champ tuned into UFC Tampa on Saturday. He was impressed by Kape’s flashy victory over Bruno “Bulldog” Silva. But then, Kape surprised him with a mention in his post-fight speech.
Kape took the mic to call out his flyweight rivals, claiming the top contender spot against Alexandre Pantoja. And just like that, he threw shade at Adesanya too! Their beef? It dates back to September 2023. Adesanya had jumped in to defend teammate Kai Kara-France during a spat with Kape.
Adesanya shared his reaction to Kape’s unexpected callout in a video on his YouTube channel.
“What he say ‘F*ck me’ for?” Adesanya chuckled. “I was giving him props, saying he’s looking sharp, and then he goes, ‘F*ck you.’
“Still, gotta keep it real—he f*cking showed up. Guess I’ve been living rent-free in his head all this time! Didn’t see that coming. But hey, credit where it’s due, he did well.”
Before hearing Kape’s words, Adesanya was entertained by the flyweight striker’s performance. Silva had no answers for the speedy Kape, who ended Silva’s four-fight win streak with a third-round knockout.
Even Adesanya had to admit Kape stole the show.
“I don’t like the piece of shit,” Adesanya confessed, “but you gotta respect the skills. He’s on fire right now.”
Adesanya also appreciated Kape’s mid-fight taunt—a nod to the Naruto homage Adesanya himself pulled off against Anderson Silva at UFC 234.
“He did my steez, the ‘Rock Lee,'” Adesanya noted. “He’s f*cking showing out.”