Kai Kara-France and Manel Kape have been set on a collision course for a considerable period, but Kara-France wasn`t caught off guard by Kape`s inability to compete this Saturday at UFC 317.
Kara-France, known as “Don’t Blink,” is slated to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight championship in the headlining bout of this weekend`s International Fight Week pay-per-view event, held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Kape was initially scheduled for a significant divisional showdown against Brandon Royval on the same card, but an injury led to Kape`s removal from the fight.
While Kara-France is primarily focused on his opportunity to become a world champion, he shared his reaction to Kape`s withdrawal in the lead-up to the event.
“This is typical Manel Kape behavior,” Kara-France commented to MMA Fighting. “He simply can’t help himself. He’s constantly posting things on Twitter or other online platforms, and then just a few days later, he pulls out of a fight. I saw his recent post concerning Royval where he stated, ‘Yeah, around this time, my opponents typically withdraw because they get scared and nervous.’ And then, well, I guess that’s karma.”
The pair were originally scheduled to clash at UFC 293 in September 2023, but Kara-France had to withdraw due to suffering a concussion. Since that time, Kape has persistently aimed verbal jabs at Kara-France whenever an opportunity arises, whether on social media or during post-fight interviews.
The 32-year-old fighter is fully aware of the continuous trash talk. While he acknowledges Kape’s skills inside the octagon, Kara-France states that his respect for Kape ends there.
“I don’t know, there’s just something about his energy, it’s off,” Kara-France explained. “He seems to feel a sense of entitlement – as though it’s his show, his world, and we`re all just existing within it. But a necessary reality check is that his fights have been cancelled 11 times in the UFC. That’s almost unheard of. Perhaps he needs a reset, because clearly, things aren`t working out for him.”
“I understand the UFC`s intention: they want me to secure this belt and then arrange the fight between me and Manel, because everyone is aware of the animosity between us. This guy is an idiot. He’s a clown. I see him as someone who is very insecure.”
“He does possess skills. He is talented, but he’s his own worst enemy. I believe his biggest downfall is his complete lack of discipline. There’s no respect for anyone, and that attitude won’t help you succeed in life. So, he really needs to be brought back down to earth, get a taste of humble pie. I’d gladly deliver it to him, but I’d have to be compensated, and he’d need to earn his way back into contention for a title fight. I highly doubt the UFC will grant him one immediately after he pulled out of this particular fight, which was effectively a No. 1 contender bout against Royval.”
With Kape out, rising contender Joshua Van has stepped in to face Royval. This marks Van`s second pay-per-view appearance this month. Van enters what is arguably the biggest fight of his career riding a four-fight win streak, which includes a third-round stoppage victory over Bruno Silva at UFC 316 less than three weeks ago.
Should Kara-France emerge as champion, he won`t be eyeing Kape as his initial challenger. Instead, his focus will be squarely on the winner of the crucial flyweight clash scheduled directly before his championship encounter.
“Now, Joshua Van has stepped up, and he’s a talented young fighter,” Kara-France remarked. “He’s performing remarkably well for his age and doing everything right – staying active, and accepting fights when the UFC calls. They appreciate that, and he’ll be rewarded. He faces a significant challenge in Brandon Royval.”
“Royval is definitely among the top fighters in our division, very exciting to watch. However, I won’t be watching that fight live. I’ll be warming up because it’s scheduled a few fights before mine, but I will absolutely be taking careful notes on who wins.”
