A nightmare for anyone at 125, Asu Almabayev is riding a 17-fight winning streak.
The Kazakhstan native is taking on Manel Kape on short notice after Brandon Royval pulled out of the UFC Vegas 103 main event. Almabayev looks to make a huge statement and move towards a title shot.
Everything is on the line for “Zulfikar.” Taking on the sixth ranked flyweight, a win would put the Kazakh native right in the eyes of flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Short notice for Asu Almabayev
Asu Almabayev is taking on the dangerous Manel Kape on short notice. But the 31 year old is not coming off the couch. Originally slated to face Steve Erceg, a former title challenger, Almabayev saw a late change in opponent.
The UFC moved Erceg to face Brandon Moreno in Mexico on March 29th. This saw Dar Pro Team Kazakhstan fighter slated to take on Allan Nascimento.
After Royval pulled out due to an injury, Almabayev was pulled to face Kape in the main event. Already scheduled to be on the card, Almabayev couldn’t say no. The opportunity was too huge.
A title shot so soon?
A title shot so soon for Asu Almabayev seems out of place. The flyweight contender is just now making waves through the flyweight division. But with Alexandre Pantoja having something like nine wins over the top ten of the division already, the UFC is looking for a fresh matchup for the Brazilian champion.
This means names like Tatsuro Taira, Amir Albazi, and, previously, Kai Asakura are at a premium. They are fresh names for the king. Taira and Albazi came up short in their number one contender fights. Kai’s Asakura was handed a title shot in his UFC debut.
Now it’s Almabayev’s turn. Previously mentioned, he’s riding seventeen straight wins. Since joining the UFC, he is an impressive 4-0. Ode Osbourne, CJ Vergara, Jose Johnson and Matheus Nicolau are all under his belt.
Almabayev is also very experienced outside the UFC. He’s competed for some of the best promotions outside of the company. Brave CF, M-1, and ACB have all had Asu Almabayev grace their cards.
But the onus will be on Almabayev to defeat the tricky Kape who is looking for a rematch from his 2021 fight with Pantoja. Struggling to get fights to the finish line in recent years, Kape put on a fantastic performance in his last outing against Bruno Silva, stunning the Miami crowd with his antics.
Should Asu Almabayev win, look for him to have the title shot next. Kai Kara-France will be first in line so a number one contender fight may be on the table too. But that’s putting the cart before the horse. First, Almabayev must defeat Manel Kape.
