Rising star Bilal Hasan warns Joshua Van about Manel Kape before UFC 336 title fight

Bilal Hasan has chimed in on the much-awaited grudge match between fierce rivals Joshua Van and Manel Kape. 

Hasan praised Van but seemed to warn that Kape is a tough stylistic matchup for the reigning UFC flyweight kingpin. 

Bilal Hasan warns Joshua Van regarding Manel Kape before title tilt at UFC 336

During a recent conversation with Helen Yee Sports' Helen Yee, Bilal Hasan expressed his appreciation for Joshua Van, highlighting that the UFC flyweight ruler competes frequently. Hasan affirmed that he himself also aims to be an active competitor. 

Furthermore, he appears to believe that Van's next challenger, Manel Kape, could dethrone him. Hasan stated: 

"Gosh, you know, Van has got momentum on his side. But the thing about MMA is styles make matchups, and I do believe that Kape is going to be a difficult matchup for him. And I'm honestly leaning more on the side of Kape." 

"The IndoNinja" added, "But, man, look at Joshua Van's, you know, consistency. He's fighting very often, and with every fight, he's getting better. So, man, it's damn near -- I'm gonna go 60 percent Kape, 40 percent Van. But it's such a close matchup there. It's exciting." 

Watch Bilal Hasan discuss Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape below (*comments at the 12:05-minute mark of the video): 

Bilal Hasan looks to continue unbeaten run at UFC 334; Joshua Van faces Manel Kape at UFC 336

Bilal Hasan boasts a professional mixed martial arts record of 10-0, unbeaten and beheld as one of the brightest prospects in the sport today.

The Indonesian-American flyweight combatant is fresh off a TKO victory against Nilson Rojas in August. Moreover, the 25-year-old is booked to take on Luis Gurule next. The Hasan vs. Gurule clash will be a part of the UFC 334 event in New York on November 14. 

As for Joshua Van, he's already a UFC champion at the age of 25. The Myanmar-born American athlete has established himself as a force to be reckoned with inside the Octagon.

"The Fearless" is coming off a unanimous decision win in his rematch against Alexandre Pantoja, whom he bested last month, notching his second successful UFC flyweight title defense. 

Meanwhile, Manel Kape last faced Kyoji Horiguchi, knocking the latter out and cementing himself as the frontrunner for a title shot. The 32-year-old Angolan-Portuguese athlete has been at loggerheads with Van. Presently, Van vs. Kape for the former's UFC flyweight title is set to go down at UFC 336 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 30.