UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev

Last updated
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev
UFC Fight Night 253.jpg
The poster for UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev
Promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship
DateMarch 1, 2025 (2025-03-01)
Venue UFC Apex
City Enterprise, Nevada, United States
Event chronology
UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev

UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev (also known as UFC Fight Night 253 and UFC Vegas 103) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on March 1, 2025, at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Valley, United States. [1]

Contents

Background

A UFC Flyweight title eliminator between former LFA Flyweight Champion (also former title challenger) Brandon Royval and former RIZIN Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape was expected to headline the event. [2] [3] However, Royval withdrew due to an undisclosed injury. [4] He was replaced by Asu Almabayev. [5] Albamayev was originally expected to face former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg at the event, [6] but the latter was moved to headline UFC on ESPN: Moreno vs. Erceg and replaced by Allan Nascimento. [7] [8] Nascimento was in turn pulled from the event after the latest changes. [5]

A middleweight bout between Cody Brundage and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs. Team Shevchenko middleweight winner Ryan Loder was scheduled for this event. [9] However, Loder withdrew from the fight for unknown reasons and was replaced by Julian Marquez. [10]

Fight card

Main card (ESPN+)
Weight classMethodRoundTimeNotes
Flyweight Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev
Middleweight Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez
Lightweight Nasrat Haqparast vs.Esteban Ribovics
Heavyweight Austen Lane vs.Mário Pinto
FeatherweightHyder Amilvs.William Gomis
Preliminary card (ESPN+)
Featherweight Ricardo Ramos vs.Chepe Mariscal
Bantamweight Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. John Castañeda
Women's Flyweight Andrea Lee vs. JJ Aldrich
WelterweightDanny Barlowvs.Sam Patterson
Women's Flyweight Montana De La Rosa vs. Luana Carolina
FeatherweightDanny Silvavs.Lucas Almeida
Flyweight Charles Johnson vs.Ramazan Temirov

    [11]

    See also

    References

    1. Nolan King (2024-11-16). "UFC announces 2025 schedule including slew of new events". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
    2. Diego Ribas (2024-12-20). "Ultimate books Manel Kape vs Brandon Royval for the main fight of UFC Vegas 103". agfight.com. Retrieved 2024-12-21.(in Brazilian Portuguese)
    3. Brian Mazique (2024-12-22). "UFC And Dana White Make Killer No. 1 Contender Fight". forbes.com. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
    4. Nolan King (2025-02-05). "UFC Fight Night 253 main event canceled: Brandon Royval withdraws from Manel Kape fight". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
    5. 1 2 Jay Anderson (2025-02-06). "UFC: with Royval out, Asu Almabayev in against Manel Kape". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
    6. Alexander Behunin (2025-01-02). "Sorry UFC 312, former title challenger will NOT compete in native Australia (because he's stuck at the APEX)". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
    7. Alexander Behunin (2025-01-28). "Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg in the works to headline UFC Mexico City". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
    8. Tristen Critchfield (2025-01-29). "Allan Nascimento replaces Steve Erceg, meets Asu Almabayev at UFC Vegas 103". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
    9. Alexander Behunin (2024-11-27). "Ultimate Fighter 32 winner draws Cody Brundage for UFC debut on March 1, 2025". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
    10. Jay Anderson (2024-12-22). "With Ryan Loder Out, Julian Marquez Meets Cody Brundage at UFC Vegas 103". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
    11. "UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2025-01-10.