UFC Vegas 18: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Manel Kape Picks, Odds and Predictions

Alexandre Pantoja and Manel Kape are fighting at UFC Vegas 18 on Saturday, February 6, 2021 on ESPN+. 

In this featherweight (145lb) bout, we have Alexandre Pantoja vs. Manel Kape. Pantoja is fighting out of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. He is entering this bout as a -130 favorite. He lost last last bout to Askar Askarov. Before this loss, he won against Matt Schnell. He has fought top-level competition and has notable wins against Matt Schnell, Wilson Reis, Yuta Sasaki and Brandon Moreno. He has a professional MMA record of 22-5-0 and has 8 wins by KO/TKO (36%), 8 submissions (36%), and 6 decisions (37%). 

Kape is fighting out of Luanda, Angola. He is entering this bout as a +110 underdog. Kape is on a three fight winning streak. He has notable wins over Kai Asajura, Takeya Mizugaki and Seiichiro. He is making his UFC debut. He has a professional MMA record of 15-4-0 and has 9 wins via KO/TKO (60%), 5 submissions (33%), and 1 decision 75%).  

Pantoja is an extremely well-rounded fighter and trains at American Top Team (ATT), which is one of the best gyms in the world. Pantoja has never been finished and is extremely durable. On the other hand, Kape has been fighting in Rizin since 2017. He needs to win this fight to make a name for himself. Kape has powerful clinch strikjes, strong body locks and extremely explosive in range, but I don’t think these aatrributes will pose a threat to Pantoja. Pantoja can’t underestimate Kape because he has fought some top-level competition, but Pantoja should win this fight with ease. For these reasons, my pick is…