The UFC men's flyweight division takes center stage this weekend as rising contenders Manel Kape and Asu Almabayev face off in the main event at UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with prelims at 4 p.m. on ESPN+).
Kape, ESPN's No. 8 flyweight, enters the bout following a third-round TKO win over Bruno Silva in December. Almabayev, unranked by ESPN, is undefeated inside the Octagon. A win over Kape would be his fifth consecutive UFC win and 18th victory in a row overall.
Brett Okamoto spoke to veteran MMA coach and ESPN analyst Din Thomas to get his perspective on the UFC main event. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight and analysis on the main event and a pair of intriguing bets he likes on the card.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
