Matheus Nicolau knew he did just enough to defeat Manel Kape at UFC Vegas 21 last Saturday night, so he was a bit confused to see and hear the negative reaction to his hand being raised at the end of the fight.
Nicolau had a solid start against Kape, who he took down several times and attempted to submit with a guillotine choke in the first round. He did not find the same success in the second round, however, as Kape started to pressure Nicolau more and back him up with combinations. At this point, it was clear that the fight would come down to the third round if a finish did not emerge.