MMA is kicking off March with an epic UFC Fight Night featuring flyweight headliners Manel Kape and Asu Almabayev. Watch all of the action with DIRECTV.
Manel Kape, aka Starboy, was originally scheduled to face off against Brandon “Raw Dawg” Royval. However, Royval had to pull out of the bout due to an injury. Now, Kape will be going up against the Interim M-1 Global Flyweight Champion, Asu Almabayev.
Kape is a Portuguese MMA fighter. He is currently ranked #6 in the UFC flyweight rankings and holds a 20-7-0. Kape is coming off a win against Bruno Gustavo da Silva in December 2024.
He will be entering the octagon with Asu Almabayev, who is ranked #8 in the UFC flyweight rankings. The Kazakhstani MMA fighter holds a 21-2-0 record and has won his last 17 consecutive fights.
In addition to the main event, be sure to catch the can’t-miss middleweight bout between Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez, the lightweight bout between Nasrat Haqparast and Esteban Ribovics and more.
You can stream all the prelims and main card fights live on ESPN+ with DIRECTV.
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UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev Date & Time
Kape and Almabayev will face off on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Watch the prelims starting at 1 p.m. PT and the main card starting at 4 p.m. PT.
How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev
Watch UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev on ESPN+ with DIRECTV. Just connect your Gemini device to watch with DIRECTV.
Can’t get enough UFC? Check out UFC’s schedule of upcoming events so you don’t miss any of the action.
Manel Kape Stats
Nickname: Starboy
Country: Portugal
Age: 31
Height: 5’ 5”
Weight: 125 lbs
Weight Class: Flyweight
Stance: Southpaw
Reach: 68”
Asu Almabayev Stats
Nickname: Zulfikar
Country: Kazakhstan
Age: 31
Height: 5’ 4”
Weight: 125 lbs
Weight Class: Flyweight
Stance: Orthodox
Reach: 65”
Will Brandon Royval Be Fighting on March 1?
Brandon Royval will not be fighting on March 1. Royval announced on February 5 on social media that he would not be able to fight due to an injury, apologizing to Kape and the fans. The type of injury has not been disclosed, but Royval said in his post that the injury has him questioning when he’ll be able to train again. With Royval out of UFC Fight Night, Almabayev stepped in to fight Kape on March 1.
Almabayev was originally supposed to face off against Steve Erceg on March 1. Now, Erceg will be headlining UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Erceg against the two-time UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno on March 29, 2025, in Mexico. Mark your calendar to watch on ESPN+ with DIRECTV.
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev Fight Card
In addition to the main event of Kape vs Almabayev, don’t miss the epic lineup of fights on Saturday, March 1. Check out the full fight card below.
Main Card
Flyweight: Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev
Middleweight: Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez
Lightweight: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics
Heavyweight: Austen Lane vs. Mario Pinto
Featherweight: Hyder Amil vs. William Gomis
Prelims
Featherweight: Ricardo Ramos vs. Chepe Mariscal
Bantamweight: Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. John Castaneda
Women’s Flyweight: Andrea Lee vs. JJ Aldrich
Welterweight: Danny Barlow vs. Sam Patterson
Women’s Flyweight: Montana De La Rosa vs. Luana Carolina
Featherweight: Danny Silva vs. Lucas Almeida
Flyweight: Charles Johnson vs. Ramazan Temirov
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Kape vs. Almabayev fight?
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev will be on Saturday, March 1, 2024.
Where is the Kape vs. Almabayev fight?
The Kape vs. Almabayev fight will be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
What is Manel Kape’s record?
Manel Kape’s record is 20-7-0.
What is Asu Almabayev’s record?
Asu Almabayev’s record is 21-2-0.
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