Manel Kape defeated Asu Almabayev by TKO in the third round of tonight’s main event at UFC Fight Night 253, but unfortunately an eyepoke did appear to pave the way for the fight-ending sequence.
Round One
The flyweight main event is underway in Las Vegas!
Cautious first 30 seconds and then Almabayev lands a body kick. Back to eyeing each other from range and then a low kick from Almabayev.
Left hand flashes out from Kape. Almabayev starts circling now. Kape darts in to land another left hand. Body kick from Almabayev.
Kape with a short flurry of punches. He looks for that again. Body kick for Almabayev. Right hand for Kape.
Kape with a knee to the body and Almabayev lands a punch on the counter. Kape presses forward and lands a right hook. Almabayev has a cut below his left eye.
Head kick attempt from Almabayev is blocked. Missed punch from Almabayev and Kape capitalizes with another flurry, landing a right hand cleanly in the process.
Almabayev with a takedown attempt, but it’s stuffed. Almabayev with a spinning attack, but Kape responds with a combination.
Round Two
Inside leg kick from Almabayev. Now an overhand right attempt. Body kick from Almabayev and a left hand from Kape.
Almabayev goes for a takedown, but Kape stuffs it well. Fast left hand from Kape. Spinning kick from Almabayev misses.
Almabayev threatens with an uppercut, but Kape avoids it with head movement. Body kick from Almabayev. He tries one upstairs that doesn’t work out. They clinch and Almabayev lands a right as they exit.
Spinning body kick for Almabayev. Now a low kick. Left hand and a low kick for him. Now an upkick. Kape stalks and then fires off a straight punch.
Jumping knee to the body from Kape. Now an inside leg kick. Low kick for Almabayev. He lands a punch to the body but misses on the follow-up overhand.
Spinning head kick attempt from Kape misses. Kape lands a swatting punch, but Almabayev thinks it’s an eyepoke which leads to a brief timeout until it’s deemed to have been a legal strike and the fight then continues. Kape back on the offensive late in the round.
Round Three
Body kick for Almabayev. another body kick from him, but more tentative this time. Kape pressuring. Low kick for Almabayev. Brief exchange and both land a punch.
Almabayev shoots for a takedown but it’s stuffed. Kape charging after the retreating Almabayev and throwing left hooks as he does so that land. Almabayev complains again about an eyepoke, but the ref tells him to fight on. Replay shows that was definitely an eyepoke, but the fight goes on.
Almabayev compromised by that poke and Kape capitalizes as he pours the offense on with left hands to the head and knees to the body. Almabayev unable to get away from the onslaught and as more blows land the ref steps in to end the fight, handing Kape the TKO victory at 2.16mins of the third round.
An unfortunate end here due to the eyepoke that went unnoticed and left Almabayev vulnerable, but Kape certainly had the upper-hand in the fight up to that point with his constant pressure, swift strikes and sharp takedown defense.
