Joshua Van Unfazed by Manel Kape’s Fiery Response After UFC 324 Result Costs Him a Major Rematch

UFC 324 did more than just try to reshuffle the flyweight rankings; it also revived old grudges and established new ones overnight. One knockout in the prelims sent shockwaves across the division, and the fallout quickly spread on social media. What should have been a quiet night for the champion Joshua Van, watching the fight at home, evolved into a digital sparring match, revealing exactly how heated the title picture has become.

For ‘The Fearless,’ the timing was almost too perfect. As fans processed Charles Johnson‘s defeat at UFC 324, the champion casually shared a tweet that cut harder than it looked. With a laughing emoji and a simple caption, a long-awaited rematch wasn’t just delayed—it felt erased.

Joshua Van shrugs off the noise as tensions boil over

Joshua Van’s tweet wasn’t subtle. “Uhh ohh, there goes the rematch

,” he wrote, a direct dig at Charles Johnson—the only man to knock him out in the UFC. Given their history, it felt like a reminder: momentum is vital, and timing can be cruel. Johnson had spent months suggesting that he still found flaws in Van’s game.

But UFC 324 effectively sealed that door that led to the rematch, at least for the time being. That’s when Manel Kape joined the chat. Clearly furious, ‘Staryboy’ denied any suggestion that Van was looking past him, arguing that the champion only got to this point because he stepped in during Kape’s injury absence.

In a fiery tweet, he wrote, “Don’t forget this: you’re only in this position because I broke my foot and you replaced me against Brandon Royval. Everyone saw what happened once I came back from injury.” He further added, “So stop this rematch bulls—. He knocked u out cold; there is no rematch. You’re fighting me. Give me four weeks. That’s all I need to put u back in diapers.”

Van’s response? He didn’t bite emotionally; he corrected the record. “Shut up u didn’t wanna sign the contract

,” he replied dismissively. And honestly, his version checks out. As per reports, after UFC 324 lost its original co-headliner between women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes, Van got the call.

And while the champion refused to confirm or deny it, he did hint that Kape turned down a fight against him at some point. He told MMA Junkie. “Ask him. He would know. Last time I checked, the champ said yes, and the challenger said no.” The 24-year-old further added, “One guy is running.”

While UFC 324 did not crown his next opponent, it did clarify one thing: ‘The Fearless’ is not seeking validation. He’s watching the division sort itself out and waiting for someone to volunteer. And if Manel Kape is to be believed, he is ready for the fight and has a lot planned for the title fight already.

Manel Kape promises ‘beautiful violence’ against Van

That confidence Joshua Van has been projecting is exactly what Manel Kape seems to be feeding off. Unlike ‘The Fearless,’ who has chosen to be more measured, Kape has taken the opposite approach by being loud, dismissive, and certain that this matchup will end one way. In his opinion, this is not a debate about contenders or timing. It’s a stylistic mismatch waiting to be exposed.

‘Starboy’ did not mince words when talking about Joshua Van to MMA Junkie. He pitched the potential title bout as routine business rather than a challenge, relying primarily on the idea that Van’s striking plays into his hands. Kape believes his current run of knockouts has already revealed the disparity, claiming that even high-volume competitors were unable to touch him once he found his groove.

To him, Van represents movement without consequence. “To be honest, I see Joshua Van as a punching bag. For my fight, I think I only have to go to the gym and punch the bag. That’s the fight that I’m going to have. A hard punching bag. What I’m going to land whatever I want. Of course, this punching bag is going to throw something, but I’m going to avoid.”

What makes Manel Kape’s pitch interesting isn’t the trash talk, but the conviction behind it. He’s promising control wrapped in violence, a mano-o-mano that looks exciting but is ultimately one-sided. In fact, even the date or location doesn’t seem to matter much to him either. He says all the promotion has to do is pick the date and send the contract.

“Let’s go March 8 [at UFC 326],” Kape suggested. “That’s the date. But I don’t mind to fight in Houston. I don’t mind to be a title [fight] co-main event. I know this doesn’t happen, but I don’t mind this.” The question of whether that confidence is prophetic or premature remains unanswered. But one thing is certain: if this fight takes place, Manel Kape’s side will be full of belief, and that alone ensures fans that the tension will keep on building.

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