Manel Kape still wants to fight Kai Kara-France next, but is losing patience with his rival and has now suggested former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno as an alternative option.
The 29-year-old Kape had been set to fight Kara-France at UFC 293 in Australia earlier this month, but his opponent had to withdraw from the bout due to suffering a concussion in training.
Kape, who went on to beat Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293 instead, has been far from sympathetic to Kara-France’s plight and has continually stated since he pulled out that the former interim-title challenger is running scared from him.
And in his latest interview with mmafighting.com, Kape has continued that running theme by claiming that the No.5 ranked Kara-France is deliberately stalling on signing a rescheduled bout agreement.
“I still don’t hear anything from their part,” Kape told MMA Fighting. “Kai Kara is still thinking about signing the contract. All this energy that was there. It was fake energy. He just don’t want to be there. He sees the levels. He really sees the levels with fighting.
“If you want someone that you are 100 percent sure that you’re going to win, you’re not going to blink and accept to fight me. I’m already waiting like two weeks for him to say yes.”
As such the No.8 ranked Kape is now floating recently dethroned 125lb champ Brandon Moreno as a good fit for his next fight instead.
“This was supposed to be a good fight with me and Kai Kara, but let’s see because all the fights are booked already, the top fights,” Kape said. “[Alexandre] Pantoja against Brandon Royval is booked. I don’t know about Brandon Moreno. This can be a fight that interests me a lot.
“I don’t know if Brandon Moreno is ready to fight this year, but if Kai Kara don’t want to fight, we’re going to have to move on.”
“…We have to think of this option,” Kape added regarding Moreno. “It really excites me, and it will make me to come back to train and put on the hard work all the time.”
