Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev is our prediction for UFC 304 Fight of the Night

Among a number of exceptional matchups at UFC 304, the fight that will undoubtedly produce the best action will be the flyweight showdown between Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape.

This notable fight at 125 pounds features the No. 6 ranked flyweight in the world Mokaev taking on Kape, who is currently ranked at No. 8. Outside of the technical components that will make this an exciting, fast-paced matchup, the stakes surrounding the fight are just as, if not more, interesting. Pair that with their two out-of-the-cage run-ins, and it's a recipe for a banger.

With current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in need of new challengers for his 125 pounds championship, the winner of this matchup could easily earn a spot opposite Pantoja for his next title defence.

Pantoja does have a decision win over Kape in the UFC, but this was Kape's promotional debut and a rematch could be next if he is able to win at UFC 304. Mokaev has not shared the Octagon with the current champion yet but many are speculating that his chance at Pantoja could be earned with a win over Kape.

Mokaev has been one of the top up-and-coming fighters on the UFC roster for a couple years now and is now on the precipice of entering the top five in the division. At 12-0 with one no contest, the undefeated flyweight looks like he is improving everytime he steps into the Octagon.

His opponent Kape, is currently in the middle of his prime and has won four consecutive fights after two decision losses to begin his UFC career. Now at 19-6 professionally, Kape has several world class victories on his track record both under the UFC banner and before making his UFC debut in February 2021.

Mokaev is 6-0 in the UFC with four finish victories, all by way of submission. For those unfamiliar with Mokaev's fight style, he is not only a submission specialist, as though he prefers to use his grappling advantage to control the fight, he also has impressive striking.

For Kape, he is much more accustomed to a mostly stand-up fight as he averages 5.12 significant strikes landed per minute, compared to just 1.53 per minute for Mokaev. Also, in Kape's most recent fight, he earned fight of the night for his decision victory over Felipe dos Santos at UFC 293 in September 2023.

When looking at each of their grappling skills, Mokaev is constantly looking for takedowns as he averages 5.75 takedowns landed per 15 minutes compared to 0.65 for Kape. Mokaev will unquestionably be looking for several takedowns throughout the fight but if Kape can defend well early on, expect a fight worthy of a performance bonus.

Between the two, Mokaev and Kape have just three performance bonuses in the UFC but this is not to discount their chances of earning fight of the night at UFC 304.

While the flyweight division has historically been overlooked at times and is not stacked with the same star power as other weight classes in the UFC, the level of skill and competition has always been elite. Typically, the likelihood of an early knockout at 125 pounds is much less as most fights are fast paced with significant output from each competitor.

In Mokaev's six fights in the UFC, all but one have seen the third round and for Kape, four of his six appearances inside the Octagon have gone the distance. This fight should be expected to at least make it to the third and final round with back-and-forth action throughout.

Though UFC 304 has several fights that could easily be looked at as the best, the matchup of Mokaev vs. Kape is one that has the perfect combination of division importance along with high level skill inside the Octagon, making it our prediction for fight of the night.