UFC 304 Adds Major Title Eliminator Fight: Undefeated Prospect vs. MMA Veteran

UFC Champion Alexandre Pantoja will be keeping a close eye on this upcoming fight.

Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

The next flyweight title challenger could be decided at UFC 304.

That's good news for UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja, who has already cleaned out most of the division, holding eight wins over the top 15 (ten if you count his wins on 'The Ultimate Fighter'). There's no clear-cut contender for Pantoja's next title defense, but that's subject to change this summer.

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After a slew of fight cancellations, Manel Kape gets another crack at a top contender when he faces off with 11-0 Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 on July 27th. Mokaev will have the home-field advantage fighting in Manchester, England. The booking was first reported by Home of Fight on Wednesday.

"July 27th another victory InshaAllah," Mokaev wrote on Instagram, confirming the matchup.

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A post shared by MOKAEV M•57 (@mokaev_muhammad)

It's been a perfect run in the Octagon for Mokaev thus far. In March, the 23-year-old made it six wins in a row, defeating former title challenger Alex Perez by decision. Mokaev, who allegedly fought through an illness on fight night, thought it'd be enough to secure a title shot against Pantoja, but he was wrong, as #10-ranked Steve Erceg ended up being the next challenger.

One more win over a fighter of Kape's calibre may very well separate Mokaev from the rest of the pack at 125 lbs. Kape finds himself in the same boat, as the flyweight division is anything but booming right now, with a serious lack of title contenders.

Kape, ranked #7, hasn't fought since a decision win over Felipe Dos Santos at UFC 293 in September. The flyweight was scheduled to face off with Matheus Nicolau on back-to-back occasions, but he withdrew each time due to weight complications and a rib injury.

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"This is the first time I’ve ever pull out of a fight, I broke the cartilage of my rib and I couldn’t move for a week," Kape wrote on 'X' regarding his withdrawal. "...Bare in mind that all my fights that got cancelled in the past was due to my opponents."

This is the first time I’ve ever pull out of a fight, I broke the cartilage of my rib and I couldn’t move for a week. On Thursday last week my surgery went extremely well. Bare in mind that all my fights that got cancelled in the past was due to my opponents.

Where I came from…

— マネル・ケイプ موسى Manel Kape (@ManelKape) April 3, 2024

Will we see a new #1 contender emerge from this upcoming flyweight bout?

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