UFC: Manel Kape in disbelief as controversial split decision loss vs returning Matheus Nicolau leaves him 0-2
- Former Rizin bantamweight champ suffers back-to-back defeats following move from Japan
- ‘It was a close fight. I’m not here to judge ... flyweight division, I’m back,’ says Nicolau, who was cut two years ago
Matheus Nicolau scored a big upset win on his return to the UFC, getting a split decision against Manel Kape as the former Rizin champ’s stuttering start in the promotion continued.
“Starboy” lost his second fight on the bounce at UFC Vegas 21, but looked stunned as the scorecards were read out, with all three judges scoring the flyweight bout 29-28 – two of them for Nicolau (16-3-1).
“Man, it’s such an amazing feeling, I’ve been going through a lot the last couple of years since I got out, especially in this fight camp,” said the Brazilian, who was cut from the UFC in 2019 when it looked like the 125-pound division was on the chopping block.
“I’m really honoured to be here, Kape is a f****** tough guy,” he added.
Portugal’s Kape (15-6) came into the UFC with a lot of hype following his exploits at bantamweight in Japan, but his debut was delayed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Following a unanimous decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja (22-5) last month, the 27-year-old was looking for a quick turnaround to show his flat performance was a one-off.