UFC Fight Night 253: Kape vs. Almabayev | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Tito Wordsmith
- May 23
- 2 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 253: Kape vs. Almabayev took place on March 1, 2025 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 103. The flyweight main event originally featured No. 6-ranked Manel Kape against Brandon Royval, but Royval withdrew and was replaced by No. 8-ranked Asu Almabayev. Kape made a strong case for a title shot by stopping Almabayev via TKO at 2:16 of round three.
Kape’s pressure and explosive striking were too much for Almabayev, who struggled to get the takedowns he needed. A controversial eye poke moment went uncalled by the referee, and Kape capitalised ruthlessly. Post-event facts confirmed Andrea Lee set a dubious losing skid record on the prelims. Mario Pinto earned a PoN with a spectacular second-round KO.
Quick Stats
✅ Result: Manel Kape def. Asu Almabayev via TKO (Punches) (Round 3, 2:16) | Mar 1, 2025 | UFC Apex
⭐ Notable: Originally Kape vs. Royval (Royval withdrew) | Kape makes case for FLW title shot | Haqparast SD Ribovics (FotN) | Pinto KO Lane R2 PoN | Brundage TKO Marquez R1 | Amil SD Gomis | Temirov def. Johnson | Aldrich def. Lee (Lee sets losing skid record) | Mariscal 5-0 UFC
Full Results
Manel Kape def. Asu Almabayev — TKO (Punches) (Round 3, 2:16) — PoN | Makes case for FLW title shot
Nasrat Haqparast def. Esteban Ribovics — SD R3 (FotN); Cody Brundage def. Julian Marquez — TKO R1; Hyder Amil def. William Gomis — SD R3; Danny Barlow def. Sam Patterson — TKO R1; Mario Pinto def. Austen Lane — KO R2 (PoN); Ramazan Temirov def. Charles Johnson; Chepe Mariscal def. Ricardo Ramos — UD R3 (5-0 UFC)
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics ($50,000 each)
🏆 Performance of the Night: Manel Kape ($50k) — TKO of Almabayev R3 | Mario Pinto ($50k) — KO of Lane R2
Legacy & Impact
FN 253 was Manel Kape’s statement. Despite losing his original opponent in Royval, the Portuguese-Angolan flyweight made the most of his opportunity against Almabayev, showcasing the explosive striking that has made him one of the most entertaining fighters at 125 pounds. Haqparast vs. Ribovics was an entertaining back-and-forth that earned FotN, and Pinto’s KO was a highlight-reel moment.
References
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