Manel Kape on recent conflict with Sean Strickland with both training at same gym: ‘He loves attention’

Flyweight contender Manel Kape has brushed off a recent social media conflict with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, dismissing the back-and-forth as nothing more than attention-seeking behavior. The two fighters, who both train at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas under coach Eric Nicksick, engaged in a heated exchange of posts days after Kape's knockout victory over Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 119. The dispute began when Strickland insulted Kape's manager Ali Abdelaziz before escalating into accusations of cheating directed at the flyweight contender.

Kape responded by questioning Strickland's willingness to confront his manager face-to-face and accused the middleweight champion of fabricating a tough-guy persona. When asked about the conflict, Kape dismissed Strickland's involvement in the exchange as typical behavior. "He wants attention. He loves attention," Kape told MMA Fighting. "Some people just talk a lot and we have to put people in their place. It doesn't matter what weight class." The veteran flyweight noted that he has a history of not backing down from verbal sparring, recalling a previous exchange with then-middleweight champion Israel Adesanya over a teammate's fight.

Despite sharing the same gym and city, Kape expressed confidence that any future in-person encounters with Strickland would remain professional. He emphasized that while online personas can differ from real-life behavior, he and Strickland have crossed paths before without issue. For now, the immediate threat of escalation appears minimal—Kape is taking time off following his recent win, while Strickland has relocated to Florida to assist Johnny Eblen's PFL title preparation at American Top Team.