Kape is a leading contender for a title shot against the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champion. “Starboy” is confident he would dominate Van, claiming he has beaten tougher opponents than the reigning 125-pound titleholder.
Manel Kape predicts Joshua Van will be too slow, citing Anderson Silva's knockout of Forrest Griffin
In a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, Kape said he would have a speed advantage against Van. He predicted their bout would resemble Anderson Silva’s first-round knockout victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 101.
“I know the power that I possess, I know the skill I possess,” Kape said. “When I say this fight is going to be too easy, it's going to be too easy. He's going to be very slow. The way he throws punches is going to be slow to me. This fight is going to be like Anderson Silva against Forrest Griffin. I apologize: I love Forrest Griffin, but it's going to be like this. That's the fight I really see. That's the level I see… I'm above him.”
Kape also predicted that his last opponent, Kyoji Horiguchi, whom he defeated by third-round technical knockout, would finish Van.
“I just beat the most difficult fighter in our division,” Kape added. “Kyoji is going to be there again. This guy is a different animal. You need to be very, very smart to fight this guy. You need to have knowledge. You need to have strategy to beat a karate guy like him. If it was Van against Kyoji, Kyoji would put him to sleep in the first round. That's the way I see it. I know the levels of this game.”