The UFC Vegas 84 co-main event between Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau has been cancelled after Kape’s weight miss, officials from the UFC and Nevada Athletic Commission confirmed to MMA Fighting on Friday.

Kape was 3.5 pounds over the limit for a non-title flyweight fight, which is 126 pounds. The UFC official said it’s unclear at the moment whether the bout will be rescheduled to a later date.

Initially, MMA Fighting reported the bout would proceed as a catchweight fight with Kape forfeiting 25 percent of his purse to Nicolau. But instead, the bout has been cancelled.

Kape later revealed he was sick two weeks prior to the fight and claimed Nicolau refused to accept the catchweight bout.

Guys, I couldn’t make the weight this time, two weeks ago I was extremely sick due to a virus that happened here in Las Vegas, And I had to stay out of training for five days and filling myself with antibiotics,not only affected me but many of my training partners .

My coaches and my manager thought it was better for me to cancel the fight due to the state I was in. But I decided to move on and not cancel. My opponent didn’t accept to fight or accept my purse.

I would give him my entire purse if he wants to fight. But things are as they are, and i take all the responsibilities.

Last year I had five fights canceled one of them my opponent was 11 pounds above, even so I agreed to fight.

Thank you to all the [UFC Performance Institute] nutritionists who tried everything for me to make the weight. See you guys soon.

Nicolau wasn’t immediately reachable for comment.

Kape and Nicolau was a rematch from a March 2021 meeting at UFC Vegas 21, and Nicolau defeated Kape via split decision. Kape has now missed weight twice at the scale for a flyweight bout, coming in three pounds over the flyweight limit for a bout with Ode Osbourne in August 2021.

A lightweight bout between Jim Miller and Gabriel Benitez could be moved up to the co-main event spot to UFC Vegas 84’s headliner, a light heavyweight title rematch between Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev. The event takes place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN+.

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