According to Manel Kape, a rib injury forced him to withdraw from a proposed flyweight clash against Matheus Nicolau in the UFC on ESPN 55 main event.
“This is the first time I’ve ever [pulled] out of a fight,” Kape wrote on X. “I broke the cartilage of my rib, and I couldn’t move for a week. On Thursday last week, my surgery went extremely well. [Bear] in mind that all my fights that got canceled in the past [were] due to my opponents.
“Where I came from we used to fight for free.