The UFC Apex in Las Vegas hosted UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev on Saturday night. While the card may have lacked some of the star power we've seen in recent weeks, the event certainly delivered its fair share of thrills and spills.
The main event, featuring flyweight contenders Manel Kape and Asu Almabayev, came together on short notice after Kape’s original opponent, Brandon Royval, withdrew due to injury.
Many fans believed this was a tougher matchup for Kape stylistically, because of Almabayev's wrestling pedigree. The Kazakh entered Saturday’s main event on the heels of four straight victories since joining the UFC.
Once the fight started, it quickly became clear that Kape was undeterred by Almabayev’s wrestling. He relentlessly pursued “Zulfikar” around the cage, showcasing a noticeable speed advantage and landing combinations at will.
The pressure and volume proved too much for Almabayev, and the fight was stopped in the third round, marking a sixth win in seven fights for "Starboy." This result will likely propel him into title contention at 125 pounds.
Elsewhere on the main card, there were devastating first-round knockout wins for Cody Brundage, who defeated Julian Marquez in the co-main event, and Sam Patterson, who flatlined Danny Barlow in the main card opener.
Bonus Winners
'Fight of the night' bonuses went to Nasrat Haqparast and Esteban Ribovics, who served up an exciting 3-round battle in the middle of the main card, while Kape picked up a 'performance of the night' bonus for his finish in the main event, as did Mario Pinto, who finsihed Austen Lane in spectacular fashion in the feature bout on the preliminary card.
Check Out All Of The UFC Vegas 103 Results Below
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Manel Kape def. Asu Almabayev via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:16
- Cody Brundage def. Julian Marquez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:45
- Nasrat Haqparast def. Esteban Ribovics via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Hyder Amil def. William Gomis via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Sam Patterson def. Danny Barlow via KO (punches) – Round 1, 3:10
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4:30 p.m. ET)
- Mario Pinto def. Austen Lane via KO (right hook) – Round 2, 0:39
- Chepe Mariscal def. Ricardo Ramos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Danny Silva def. Lucas Almeida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- JJ Aldrich def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Ramazonbek Temirov def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
