In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 84 tomorrow night we are going to see a fun rematch in the flyweight division. Top contenders will battle it out for a second time as Manel Kape (19-6) takes on Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1).
These two first fought back in 2021 with Nicolau winning a split decision. It was a very close fight and it seemed like the majority of folks thought that Kape won the fight. However, the judges gave the fight to Nicolau which was his third win in a row at the time.
Following the win over Kape, Nicolau would win three more fights to bring his winning streak to six fights. That led him to UFC Kansas City last April against Brandon Royval in a title eliminator. Nicolau was knocked out in the first round which completely halted his momentum.
While his momentum has been halted, Kape’s continues to surge. Kape will make the walk tomorrow night carrying a ton of confidence and riding a four-fight winning streak. Kape has been showing off as of late inside the octagon and he’s looking to prove that he’s worthy of a title shot tomorrow night.
UFC Vegas 84 Prediction
I think a big thing in this fight is going to be speed and power. Both of those advantages go in favor of Manel Kape. In the first fight, Nicolau was able to land a couple of takedowns which helped him in winning the fight. I’m not sure he’s going to land those takedowns this time around.
I really feel like the speed, power, and striking advantages are really going to show out for Manel Kape at UFC Vegas 84. Maybe I’m too cool on Nicolau after the brutal loss to Royval, but I just think that Kape is the better fighter and he’s going to show it. I also think he’s going to get it done in style by finishing Nicolau in the second round.
Prediction: Manel Kape by TKO – Round 2