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Should the UFC Snub Injured Ex-UFC Champion for This Title Fight Grudge Match?

Do you want to see "The Fearless" and "Starboy" settle things in the Octagon?
Drew Beaupre|
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Fresh off its first event and title fight of the year, it looks like the UFC might have another championship bout brewing in the flyweight division.

The world’s leading MMA promotion returned from a six-week hiatus last Saturday with UFC 324, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV and was supposed to feature two title bouts before Kayla Harrison unfortunately withdrew from a planned co-main event fight with Amanda Nunes.

The night’s headlining bout did see Justin Gaethje defeat Paddy Pimblett to win the interim UFC lightweight belt for the second time, and Gaethje is now lined up to meet Ilia Topuria in a title unification fight at some point later this year.

Joshua Van & Manel Kape Trade Shots After UFC 324

The UFC currently only has two other title fights on its 2026 calendar so far (if you choose to count UFC 326’s “BMF” title bout between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira), but the promotion might want to look into booking UFC Flyweight Champion Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape after the pair spent the last few days trading words on social media.

Taking in UFC 324 on Saturday night, Van shared his live reaction to Alex Perez’s stoppage-win over Charles Johnson, who handed “The Fearless” his first Octagon loss via knockout in 2023.

"Uhh ohh there goes the rematch"

READ MORE: Two Massive UFC Title Fights Lined Up After First UFC Rankings Update of 2026

Kape, who closed out the UFC’s 2025 schedule by finishing Brandon Royval in December, was quick to go after the UFC’s flyweight champion and try to lock up what would be his first shot at UFC gold.

"Don’t forget this: you’re only in this position because I broke my foot and you replaced me against Brandon Royval. Everyone saw what happened once I came back from injury. So stop this rematch bulls***. He knocked u out cold there is no rematch. You’re fighting me. Give me four weeks. That’s all I need to put u back in diapers."

"Starboy" Offers Date For UFC Flyweight Title Fight

The initial exchange caused things to quickly heat up, with Van settling for shorter, more dismissive remarks while Kape came at the champion with lengthier and more detailed responses, going so far as to say they should fight at UFC 326 on March 7.

Van: "T**ty boi tell dem why u said NO the first time you fat b****h"

Kape: "Let me explain what this idiot is talking about. First of all, there was never a contract. Second, the UFC “considered” me fighting Joshua last Saturday to replace the Kayla vs Amanda fight but they told me only one week before. And obviously, there’s no way I’d make weight in one week lol. And if I missed weight, I’d be more frozen than Arman Tsarukyan…Let’s do things the right way."

READ MORE: UFC's All-Time Leader in Knockout Wins Ties Undesirable Record With UFC 324 Loss

Van: "Shut up u didn't wanna sign the contract"

Kape: "What kind of contract are u talking about, u moron? I know you’re an individual with significant intellectual limitations, so I’ll give you a discount. If you want me to sign a contract, let’s sign it for March 7th."

UFC Promised Alexandre Pantoja Immediate Rematch With Joshua Van

As much fun as a grudge match between Kape and Van would be, UFC CEO Dana White indicted in the immediate aftermath of UFC 323 that the promotion would ideally like to give Alexandre Pantoja a chance to reclaim his belt after the shocking fashion in which he lost it.

READ MORE: UFC Legend Believes UFC Champion Ilia Topuria is on Track to Become MMA's GOAT

Pantoja, who defeated Kape via unanimous decision in 2021, won the UFC flyweight title from Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 and went on to defend it four times before being matched with Van last December. The highly-anticipated title bout ended after just 26 seconds when the champion injured his arm while falling to the mat, and Van was subsequently declared the victor via injury TKO.

Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) fights Joshua Van (blue gloves) during UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena.
Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) fights Joshua Van (blue gloves) during UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“The Cannibal” already looks to be recovering from his injury far faster than most fans expected, but it remains to be seen if the UFC may consider booking Van vs. Kape first if Pantoja’s return doesn’t quite line up with the promotion’s relentless event schedule.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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