“Like Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin”: Manel Kape Makes Bold Prediction for His Potential Fight Against Joshua Van

Manel Kape is targeting a title fight against Van next, and he is not going to undersell himself. The 32-year-old has knocked out more opponents ‌at flyweight than anyone in UFC’s history.

Kape refers to his potential title fight with Van as a masterpiece waiting to be painted. But even his prediction and comparison shocked Daniel Cormier. 

Manel Kape Shocks Daniel Cormier With Anderson Silva Comparison

During an interview with the UFC legend Daniel Cormier, Kape was asked to break down how his flyweight title fight with Van would play out. 

“I know the power I possess. I know the skill I possess. When I say that this fight is going to be too easy, it’s going to be too easy. The way he throws the punch is going to be slow to me. This fight is going to be like Anderson Silva against Forrest Griffin,” Kape said, before quickly adding, “I apologize. I love Forrest.”

Cormier pushed back immediately. “Manel, you cannot possibly believe that this fight will look like Forrest Griffin is...” Kape didn’t budge. “That’s the fight I really saw. That’s the level I see I’m above him. Remember these words, we will find out.”

In the 2009 light heavyweight fight, Anderson Silva delivered one of the most one-sided performances in UFC history. 

Forrest Griffin looked completely lost before eating a left hand from Silva that sent him to the canvas in the first round of the fight. 

Kape vs. Van

Joshua Van has defended his title twice, most recently against former champion Alexandre Pantoja. Now, his third title defense is expected to take place in January 2027 against Manel Kape.

Van is already listed as a slight betting favorite at -108, while Kape sits at -112.

Kape enters the matchup riding a four-fight winning streak. In June, he secured his sixth knockout victory against Kyoji Horiguchi, reportedly becoming the first flyweight in history to do so.

Given his recent run, Kape is a legitimate threat to anyone in the division. Van, for his part, has acknowledged him as the next viable challenger.

However, Van also took a shot at Kape’s history of missing weight. The champion has just one UFC loss and is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak.