If you watched UFC 293 pre-fight press conference, Manel Kape was ready to throw hands with Israel Adesanya.
A few days before his fight against Felipe Dos Santos, Kape would blast Kai Kara-France at the pre-fight press conference, who he was originally scheduled to fight. Kara-France pulled out of the fight due to a concussion during his training. Manel Kape would yell from the stage, across the audience towards the New Zealander. Even throwing a water bottle at him. This drew a reaction from Adesanya, headlining UFC 293, who is teammates with Kara-France.
The two fighters would get into a heated exchange. Adesanya would call Kape a “midget” and promised to bury him. Security got around them quickly to not escalate into any more physicality. It seemed like the situation ended there but this continues backstage with Izzy offering an apology.
“After all this talk [at the press conference], he came to me backstage ‘Hey, no disrespect, we are Africa, we’re brothers,’” Kape said when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I said, ‘We are not brothers. Look, my problem is with Kai Kara, not with you. Why did you stand up? He can handle his business.’”
Manel Kape Thoughts on Israel Adesanya
Manel Kape doesn’t have a problem with Israel Adesanya until the pre-fight press conference. Kape’s intention wasn’t to hype up his potential fight with Kai Kara-France but to call him out for pulling out of the fight. That is why he would not accept Izzy’s apology when they ran into each other again two days later.
“Believe me, if he’s in the street with no cameras, I’ll eat you, too,” Kape said. “You are a man to back up your words. Because you’re just one [man], you’re tall, but I’ll eat you in the streets. Believe me. You don’t know what I’m capable of doing. “He backed down again. Ask them what he said to me backstage. No man, no size, I don’t fear them, and I’m undefeated in the streets.”
While the UFC has a lot of trash talk for Manel Kape, it was personal. He doesn’t like that Kara-France pulled out of a fight so late. Also, the fact his gym mentality is to fight no matter what, even if hurt or injured. Kape really doesn’t appreciate Israel getting involved between the two as it wasn’t his business.
That being said, Kape wasn’t shocked when Adesanya approached him backstage. He believes that the whole thing was a show to defend his teammate in his hometown at UFC 293.
“I expected it, because they’re just acting,” Kape said. “The difference is I’m not acting. I’m not acting. I’m for real. These people, they’re not built like me. Where I come from, what I handle. I’m different than these people. He knows. He don’t want the problem there.”
Quotes taken from MMAFighting.com
What do you think? Should Izzy have apologized or just stayed out of it completely? Would you like to see the UFC rebook Manel Kape vs. Kai Kara-France? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
