UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | March 1, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev (also referred to as UFC Fight Night 253, UFC Vegas 103, and UFC on ESPN+ 111) was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 1, 2025, hosted at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The event was initially set to be headlined by a Flyweight title eliminator featuring former LFA Flyweight Champion and previous title contender Brandon Royval against ex-RIZIN Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape. However, Royval withdrew due to sustaining multiple concussions and was replaced by Asu Almabayev. Almabayev had been scheduled to face former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg, who was reassigned to headline a separate event, with Allan Nascimento stepping in as Erceg’s replacement; Nascimento subsequently withdrew.
A middleweight matchup between Cody Brundage and Ryan Loder, winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs. Team Shevchenko, was planned but Loder pulled out for undisclosed reasons. Julian Marquez took his place.
The women's flyweight contest between Montana De La Rosa and Luana Carolina was called off following Carolina’s unsuccessful weight cut.
A bantamweight fight featuring Douglas Silva de Andrade and John Castañeda was canceled after Silva de Andrade failed medical clearance despite the bout being shifted to a 140-pound catchweight.
During the weigh-ins, Lucas Almeida exceeded the featherweight limit by two pounds. The fight proceeded at catchweight with Almeida penalized 20% of his purse, which was awarded to his opponent Danny Silva.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded for exceptional performances:
- Fight of the Night: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics
- Performance of the Night: Manel Kape and Mário Pinto