When video of a brawl between the teams of Manel Kape and Muhammad Mokaev at the UFC 304 fighter hotel in Manchester surfaced, many immediately placed the blame on Kape. The man can’t seem to make it through a fight week without trying to brawl with someone.
However, Team Kape claims that it was Mokaev who initiated this recent altercation.
Kape’s coach Eric Nicksick spoke to MMA Junkie after the incident and claimed the whole thing was a ‘set up.’ Kape was asked to take a picture with Mokaev “for our Muslim brothers,” only for Mokaev’s team to attack him moments later.
Team Mokaev and Team Kape got into a scuffle at the fighters’ hotel in Manchester. This comes amid numerous reports about their conflict earlier this year at the UFC PI#UFC304 #UFCManchester pic.twitter.com/3aCBCrzMvo
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 24, 2024
These pictures were taken 30 minutes apart pic.twitter.com/jRMmqg6D5i
— OverDogs Podcast | Kanpai Media (@OverDogsPodcast) July 25, 2024
“What kind of Muslim are you?” Kape wrote on X (formerly Twitter) afterward. “You gave me Salam asked to take a picture and then tried to punch me in the betrayal, i can see now you are not a child of the dagestao, because there are created men you are just a poor bastard raised on a low income in Manchester without honor and principles.”
Kape then confirmed stories that had been circulating of a prior fight between the two at the UFC Performance Institute.
He mentioned, “In Vegas, I went by myself and explicitly instructed you to be prepared.” I avoid striking individuals when they are vulnerable, preoccupied, or caught off guard. I believed that all conflicts were resolved, but unfortunately, the destruction will persist… Shaytan!”
Kape and Mokaev are slated to compete in the early prelims of UFC 304. It will be interesting to witness if their animosity translates into an explosive showdown inside the octagon.
