Manel Kape dismisses complaints about a late eye poke affecting his knockout win over Asu Almabayev, asserting that he dominated the fight and criticizing Almabayev for not taking responsibility for his performance.
Manel Kape isn’t losing sleep over his knockout win against Asu Almabayev. Despite complaints about a late eye poke affecting the fight’s outcome, he’s unfazed.
The controversy erupted when replays showed Kape’s fingers scraping Almabayev’s eye. Referee Mike Beltran missed it, and shortly after, Kape secured a third-round knockout in what was mostly a one-sided bout.
Days later, Almabayev posted a graphic photo of his bloodshot eye on social media. It signaled damage from the uncalled foul, but Kape isn’t buying it.
“He posted this photo — people always talk,” Kape told MMA Fighting. He recalled a past fight with Bruno Silva where similar accusations were made. “People said ‘low blow’ like I wasn’t winning.”
Kape insists the first punch caused Almabayev’s eye damage. “If you watch closely, the first round’s punch did it,” he said.
Throughout the fight, Kape dominated exchanges on the feet. Almabayev struggled to use his wrestling to counter Kape’s fast combos.
Regarding the eye poke that went unnoticed, Kape points out Almabayev wasn’t defending himself. Instead, he was running away to avoid more strikes.
Kape admits reaching out with an open hand as Almabayev fled. “I extended my hand as a slap,” he explained. Yet, he felt it didn’t hinder Almabayev’s ability to fight back.
Despite the attention on the eye poke and social media posts, Kape knows he controlled the fight. Things weren’t improving for Almabayev anyway.
Facing criticism is something Kape expects since joining the UFC roster. “It wasn’t an eye poke that ended the fight,” he stated confidently.
“People find excuses because it’s me,” he added, acknowledging that champions often face hate before being celebrated.
Kape emphasizes it was one of his easiest fights. He predicted a long night for Almabayev, who wasn’t ready to believe it.
Amidst controversy, Kape holds no ill will towards Almabayev. He suggests Almabayev take responsibility for his own performance.
“It’s bad he posted about the eye poke,” Kape said. “The fight’s over; there’s nothing dramatic about it.”
He advises against running in the cage if you don’t want to get hit. “That’s more embarrassing than an eye poke,” he concluded.