Matheus Nicolau is not here for Manel Kape’s excuses.
The veteran UFC flyweight released a lengthy statement on Friday lambasting would-be opponent Manel Kape after Kape badly missed weight by 3.5 pounds for UFC Vegas 84.
Kape tipped the scales at 129.5 pounds on Friday morning in Las Vegas for his scheduled bout against Nicolau, which was supposed to serve as the co-main event of UFC Vegas 84. Initial expectations were for the fight to proceed as a catchweight, with Kape forfeiting 25 percent of his purse to Nicolau, however the matchup was ultimately cancelled.
Kape subsequently stated on social media that he was sick two weeks prior to the fight and claimed that Nicolau refused to accept a catchweight bout.
In his response, Nicolau labeled Kape as “irresponsible, reckless and disrespectful” and stated that Kape “tried to gain an unfair advantage by cheating the system.”
Nicolau’s full comments can be read below (translated by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz).
Unfortunately for the MMA fan, for my fans and, of course, for me and my entire team, the Manel Kape fight was cancelled. And the only person responsible for this is Manel Kape himself. It is the duty of the martial artist to fulfill this obligation of making weight the day before the fight.
I went through that entire war. I’ve been cutting weight for 5 weeks now with a restrictive diet. I focused (and didn’t regret it) on Christmas, New Year and my birthday on a diet, training and spending time away from my family. Today, I woke up at 5am to finish the process and weigh in at the 126 pounds, what was needed for the fight to happen.
Kape didn’t. He showed up for the weigh-in with 30 minutes left so there was no time for the UFC to ask him to cut more weight. He showed up 3.5 pounds over, knowing that if he weighed 0.5 pounds more, the fight would be automatically suspended by the athletic commission.
In other words, in my opinion, he tried to gain an unfair advantage by cheating the system.
Kape was irresponsible, reckless and disrespectful. He disrespected me as a colleague, opponent and martial artist. Disrespected MMA. Disrespected the UFC. Disrespected companies that support the sport. But, above all, he disrespected you, UFC fan, MMA fan, Matheus Nicolau fan, Manel Kape fan.
Infelizmente, para o fã do MMA, para os meus fãs e, claro, pra mim e toda minha equipe, a luta com o Manel Kape foi cancelada. E o único responsável por isso é o próprio Manel Kape, que foi irresponsável durante todo esse processo.
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) January 13, 2024
É dever do artista marcial cumprir sua obrigação com relação ao peso no dia anterior à luta. Eu passei por toda essa primeira guerra.
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) January 13, 2024
Estou cortando peso já há 5 semanas com uma dieta restritiva. Foquei (e não me arrependendo) no Natal, ano novo e meu aniversário com dieta, treinos e passando longe da minha família.
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) January 13, 2024
Hoje, acordei às 5h da manhã para finalizar o processo e pesar as 126 libras necessárias para que a luta acontecesse.
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) January 13, 2024
Kape não. Ele se apresentou para a pesagem faltando 30 minutos, para sequer dar tempo do UFC cobrar ele de diminuir mais o seu peso.
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) January 13, 2024
Ele se apresentou pesando 3.5 libras a mais, sabendo que se apresentasse 0.5 libra a mais a luta seria automaticamente suspensa pela comissão atlética. Ou seja, ao meu ver, ele tentou ganhar uma vantagem indevida, ludibriando o sistema.
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) January 13, 2024
Kape foi irresponsável, inconsequente e desrespeitoso. Me desrespeitou, como colega de esporte, adversário e artista marcial. Desrespeitou o MMA. Desrespeitou o UFC. Desrespeitou as empresas apoiadoras do esporte. Mas, acima de tudo, desrespeitou você, fã do UFC e fã do MMA.
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) January 13, 2024
UFC Vegas 84 now moves forward as an 11-fight card at the UFC APEX headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker.
With Nicolau vs. Kape off the card, a lightweight bout between Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benitez has been elevated into the new co-main event.
