Manel Kape

Manel Kape, born Manuel Pedro Gomes and known to fans as "Starboy," is an Angolan-Portuguese mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division of the UFC.

Born in Luanda, Angola, and raised largely in Portugal, Kape grew up around the sport of boxing, crediting his father, a former world champion boxer, with instilling the technical striking foundation that shaped his career. He turned professional in 2012 at 17 years old, debuting with the Portuguese promotion Cage Fighters before campaigning through a string of European regional organizations, including the Knockout Championship and the Invictus Pro MMA League, where he won a bantamweight title. In 2017 he signed with Japan's Rizin Fighting Federation, reaching the final of the promotion's bantamweight Grand Prix and later capturing the promotion's vacant bantamweight championship with a knockout of Kai Asakura. Kape has long trained out of AKA Thailand, the Phuket-based satellite of the American Kickboxing Academy, sharpening his game alongside a roster of elite international fighters.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a striking arsenal built on a boxing and Muay Thai foundation, Kape is regarded as one of the most dangerous knockout artists ever to compete at 125 pounds. His combination of hand speed, fight-ending power, and creative, unorthodox striking has produced a run of finishes that ranks among the most prolific in UFC flyweight history. He backs that power with underrated grappling and submission ability, giving him more than one way to end a fight.

Since arriving in the UFC, Kape has built his reputation with violent, front-foot performances against a murderers' row of divisional contenders, highlighted by a highlight-reel flying knee that finished Ode Osbourne inside the Octagon and knockout wins over the likes of Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Bruno Silva. Carrying the credentials of a world-class regional champion into the sport's biggest stage, Manel Kape has established himself as one of the flyweight division's most feared finishers and a singular presence in a weight class not typically known for one-punch power.