UFC books Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape flyweight title fight for Toronto
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The gist
The UFC booked flyweight champion Joshua Van to defend against Manel Kape at UFC 336 in Toronto.
It is Kape's first UFC title shot after five straight wins, all by finish.
Background
Manel Kape is a UFC flyweight and former RIZIN champion with a 23-7 MMA record, ranked No. 3 at flyweight by ESPN. His UFC start was rough — losses to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau and a weight miss — but he has since won five straight, finishing each opponent, including a third-round TKO of Kyoji Horiguchi on June 20. Joshua Van, a 25-year-old champion from Myanmar, took the belt from Pantoja in December 2025 after Pantoja suffered a freak injury seconds into the fight, then defended against Tatsuro Taira and beat Pantoja again by decision in September. The bout was announced during the UFC 333 broadcast in Abu Dhabi.
How it unfolded
- 2021Kape debuted in the UFC after his RIZIN run, losing to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau and missing weight before his first wins.
- July 2024Muhammad Mokaev beat Kape; Mokaev's contract was not renewed after the win.
- December 2025Joshua Van captured the flyweight title from Alexandre Pantoja, who suffered a freak injury seconds into the fight.
- May 9, 2026Van defended the belt against Tatsuro Taira by fifth-round TKO at UFC 328 in a Fight of the Year contender.
- Jun 20, 2026Kape beat Kyoji Horiguchi by third-round TKO.
- Sep 19, 2026Van beat Pantoja by unanimous decision in their UFC 331 rematch.
- Oct 20, 2026ESPN rankings list Van No. 1, Pantoja No. 2 and Kape No. 3 at flyweight.
- Oct 24, 2026Van vs. Kape for the flyweight title at UFC 336 was announced during the UFC 333 broadcast in Abu Dhabi; the card is set for Jan 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Yahoo/Uncrowned frames the matchup as Kape's first UFC title opportunity, with Van defending the belt.
- Analysts
- MMA Junkie bills the bout as a flyweight title grudge match and the UFC 336 co-main event.
Still unverified
MMA Sucka, in an undated piece, described Van vs. Kape as 'most likely' the next title fight and a 'potential matchup' before the bout was officially announced.