Manel Kape has proved his might at UFC Tampa! The ninth-ranked Angolan earlier lost his 4-fight win streak by falling to Muhammad Mokaev via unanimous decision at the UFC 304 Prelims. However, he made the comeback of a lifetime against Bruno Silva. Kape had the upper hand over his opponent for the majority of their fight. It was evident that Bruno Silva was struggling, and before you knew it, the Angolan put an end to the fight by delivering a flurry of strikes in Round 3.

This was a performance that he would remember for a long time, as it was after three years that he won via KO/TKO. The UFC flyweight has proved that he is championship material. He even walked toward Dana White after the fight and had some words with him from inside the Octagon. While it is unclear what he said, many can clearly see through the gestures that he wants a shot against Alexandre Pantoja.

Before the fight, Kape was the #9 ranked fighter in the UFC, but this dominant showing would definitely earn him a spot at a higher position. Although it would be interesting to see who loses his spot to the fighter. Assuming that he jumps to the 7th or 6th position, he would still have to go through either of the top three to get closer to a title picture. Something that must’ve been said by Dana White as well when he spoke to Kape through the cage.

But with a showing so dominant, getting Kape a title shot is the consensus now. In fact, he is also finding a lot of support online as he has a huge wave of supporters behind him. People who want Dana White to give him a title shot already. In fact, many of these supporters are fellow UFC fighters. So who are the ones promoting Kape to the title picture in their books? Let’s find out.

Major support for Manel Kape post-UFC Tampa win

The moment the Angolan fighter knocked the lights out of Bruno Silva, every MMA fighter and pundit alike began asking Dana White that he be put into the title picture and get a fight against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. On X, the support for Kape was never-ending as several known personalities made their thoughts known. The current UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad was one of the early ones to identify the title-shot-worthy talent of Kape, as he wrote, “That was a title shot worthy performance.” However, he wasn’t the only one who saw Kape and Pantoja’s next opponent.

A familiar face in the UFC backstage scene, Nina-Marie Daniele too shared her thoughts about Dana White handing the Angolan a title fight already. “Gove Manel Kape a UFC Title shot! #UFCTampa.” Her thoughts were soon reciprocated by Danny Segura and Amy Kaplan, as they too rooted for the 31-year-old fighter on X. They tweeted, “Give Manel Kape a title shot. Pantoja vs. Kape is the fight to make. #UFCTampa,” and “Ok, he needs that title shot 👏👏👏 #UFCTampa” respectively.

If the UFC makes this fight in 2025, it would be a rematch, since the pair clashed all the way back in 2021. At that February Fight Night, Pantoja walked away with the win via unanimous decision. This could be Kape’s chance to redeem the loss and win the belt in one fell swoop.

While many saw Kape as a title contender, some others simply praised the fighter for dismantling his opponent the way he did. One such fan of Kape’s recent performance was Jorge Masvidal. The former MMA fighter found the Angolan to be a scary fighter with lighting-fast speed, something that even he was known for back when he was in the UFC. So getting this compliment from him should boost the 31-year-old’s confidence. Masvidal wrote on X, “Scary fast and mean @ManelKape.”

Following suit, Damon Martin claimed that there isn’t a flyweight who is as good as Kape in the current roster, “At his absolute best, Manel Kape can be the best flyweight in the sport. #UFCTampa.” Well, it surely looks like people are going ga-ga over this dominant showing by the Angolan fighter. But what do you think? Does he deserve a title shot already or is there still a lot to prove? Let us know in the comments.