Manel Kape and Ode Osbourne are facing off on the early preliminary card of UFC 265: Lewis vs Gane. This should be a fun fight with two of the quickest strikers you will find in the flyweight division. This fight should've been placed higher up on the card considering Kape was suppose to be the next big thing.
Kape UFC's career hasn't gone to plan as he's lost his first two UFC fights with his UFC debut coming against Pantoja the 3rd ranked flyweight contender, in that fight, Kape put his skills on display but was unable to do enough to sway the judges. In Kape's last fight against Matheus Nicolau, Kape underwhelmed with his hesistantancy but still performed well enough to the point where he should've won. The Jamaican Sensation Ode Osbourne is a guy who doesn't waste any time inside the octagon with his quick striking and his college wrestling background. Ode Osbourne is coming off a win against Jerome Rivera where Ode scored a knockout with his first punch which was a well-timed straight to finish Rivera with 30 seconds of the fight.
Kape's struggles have had nothing to do with his actual skill as he's given the 3rd ranked flyweight a run for his money. Kape's issues have more to deal with mental than physical skill as he seems to lack confidence right out of the gate, instead gaining confidence as he lands throughout the fight. I wouldn't be shocked if Kape folds under pressure but it'll be his 3rd fight in the UFC so hopefully he's gotten rid of the jitters by now as their is a really talented fighter underneath it all. This is a must-win fight for Kape while he still has one more fight left on his contract, he simply may never recover from the mental aspect of things. Kape also possesses some wrestling so that will help in nullifying the submissions from Osbourne. The bottom line is that Kape through his struggles has shown me more than enough to give him another chance.
