Kape had several boxing matches prior to beginning his mixed martial arts career, all of which occurred before his first MMA fight at the age of 14.[7][8]
He made his professional debut at 17, fighting with Cage Fighters, at Cage Fighters 2, when he faced Artur Gomes. Kape won the bout in the first round by way of TKO.[9] Fighting at Cage Fighters - Challengers Norte 1 he was scheduled to face Renato Ferreira. He made quick work of his opponent, ending the fight by TKO, after just 45 seconds.[10] Next he fought Ricardo Teixeira, earning his first submission win, ending the fight in the first round with a rear naked choke.[11] His last fight with Cage Fighters was at Cage Fighters 3, when he fought Marco Santos. He won the fight with a unanimous decision.[12]
Moving to Knock Out Championship he fought Souksavanh Khampasath. He would suffer his first professional loss, losing through a rear naked choke.[13] Recouping, he fought Hicham Rachid at Invictus 1, and won the fight with a flying knee to the body.[14] He next fought at Ansgar Fighting League 2, against Daniel Barez. He beat Barez through a verbal tapout, forced by a tight armbar cinched by Kape.[15] Returning to the second Invictus event, Kape faced Miguel Valverde. He won the fight with a rear naked choke in the first round.[16] He was then scheduled to fight Antoine Gallinaro.[17] Kape won the fight in the fourth round through an armbar, which earned him the KOC Bantamweight title.[18] Kape continued his winning streak by beating Francisco Javier Asprilla by way of a third-round TKO.[19]
Kape was scheduled to fight Damien ‘The Rage’ Rooney at BAMMA 22 in the 3Arena in Dublin.[20] Kape would later pull out of the bout.[21] Kape was then set to fight against the Brazilian João Elias, but the fight would likewise be cancelled.[22] Manel Kape was scheduled to fight at Knock Out Championship 9 against Moktar Benkaci for the KOC bantamweight championship.[23] This would be the third consecutive fight that fizzled out for Manel Kape.[24]
Rizin Fighting Federation
Following a two-year hiatus, due to the three canceled bouts, Kape would sign with Rizin Fighting Federation and was set to take part in the Rizin bantamweight Grand Prix. He made his debut at Rizin 6 when he faced Erson Yamamoto. Yamamoto was confused by Kape's trash-talk during the fight, as he allegedly said "[your] mom just lost and [you] are next", since Erson's mother had lost earlier in the evening.[25] Kape would go on to win the fight after just 71 seconds with a left leg head kick KO, although the stoppage was considered early by many observers.[26]
In the second round of the Grand Prix, Kape was scheduled to fight the former Tachi Palace flyweight champion Ian McCall.[27] The two got into a physical altercation at the weigh-ins, with Kape slapping McCall and McCall responding with a strike to the face of Kape. The two had to be separated by the officials present.[28] Kape would win the fight by Doctor Stoppage TKO in the second minute of the first round, after the ringside doctors stopped the fight due to a cut.[29]
In the Grand Prix semifinals he fought one of the world's best bantamweights in Kyoji Horiguchi. Although Kape gave his opponent a competitive fight, he would lose the bout in the third round, after Horiguchi locked in an arm triangle choke.[30]
Kape was scheduled to fight Kai Asakura Rizin 10. He would lose a split decision, in a close and exciting fight, which would be nominated as the Fight of the Month by MMA Junkie.[31]
At Rizin 13, Kape was scheduled to face Yusaku Nakamura.[32] Kape beat Nakamura with a rear naked choke at the end of the third round.[33]
Kape's next fight was against Ulka Sasaki.[34] Sasaki would win a comfortable unanimous decision combining good striking with a strong ground game to beat Kape.[35]
Kape was to fight the ZST flyweight champion Seiichiro Ito at Rizin 15.[36] Kape defeated Ito with a strong left hook to the body, which gave him a KO win in the second round.[37]
At Rizin 18, Kape was scheduled to fight the 14 fight UFC veteran and former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight title challenger Takeya Mizugaki.[38] Kape would earn a dominant second-round KO win, stunning Mizugaki with a powerful uppercut, before landing a right hook to the jaw of Mizugaki. Following the win, Kape called out the Rizin bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi.[39]
Kyoji Horiguchi would in the meantime vacate the belt due to a knee injury. Kape was scheduled to fight Kai Asakura in a rematch, this time with the vacant bantamweight title on the line.[40] The fight was preceded with peculiar trash-talk, as Kape tore a cardboard cutout of Kai Asakura, declaring "You are already dead", and proceeding to chew up the cardboard remains.[41] During the fight itself, Asakura tried to make use of his reach to outfight, while Kape looked to blitz in and land strikes. He would find success in the second round, earning a TKO victory following a barrage of punches.[42] This win would earn him a Fighter of the Year nomination for the Asian MMA awards.[43]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
On March 30, 2020, Kape announced that he had signed a four-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, becoming first Portuguese-Angolan fighter to be signed with the UFC.[44][45]
Kape was expected to make his promotional debut against Rogério Bontorin on August 15, 2020, at UFC 252.[46] The fight was later canceled, as Bontorin suffered an ankle injury.[47]
Kape faced Ode' Osbourne on August 7, 2021, at UFC 265.[57] At the weigh-ins, Kape weighed in at 129 pounds, three pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Kape was fined 20% of his purse, which went to Osbourne.[58] He won the fight via knockout in round one after connecting with a flying knee and following it up with punches.[59]
Kape was scheduled to face Su Mudaerji on April 23, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 205.[62] However, just three days before the event, Kape withdrew for personal reasons and the bout was scrapped.[63]
Kape was scheduled to face Rogério Bontorin on June 11, 2022, at UFC 275.[64] However, the bout was scrapped the day before the event due to Bontorin suffering kidney issues related to cutting weight.[65]
Kape was scheduled to face Alex Perez on March 25, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 43.[68] However, the pairing was canceled on the day of the event as Perez suffered a seizure backstage.[69][70]
Kape was scheduled to face Deiveson Figueiredo on July 8, 2023, at UFC 290.[71] However, Figueiredo withdrew after he was not medically cleared to compete and the bout as scrapped.[72]
Kape was scheduled to face Kai Kara-France on September 10, 2023, at UFC 293.[73] However Kara-France pulled out of the fight in late August after suffering a concussion during training, and was replaced by promotional newcomer Felipe dos Santos.[74] Kape won the fight via unanimous decision.[75] The win also earned Kape his first Fight of the Night bonus award.[76]
Kape was scheduled for a rematch against Matheus Nicolau on January 13, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 234.[77] At the weigh-ins, Kape weighed in at 129.5 pounds, three and a half pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit,[78] and the bout was cancelled.[79] The pair was rescheduled for April 27, 2024 at UFC on ESPN 55.[80] However, Kape withdrew for unknown reasons.[81]
Kape faced Bruno Gustavo da Silva on December 14, 2024. UFC on ESPN 63.[84] After receiving three low-blows resulting in a point deduction for Silva, Kape won the fight by technical knockout via a body kick and punches in the third round.[85]
