Manel Kape gets new opponent for UFC 293, faces newcomer Felipe dos Santos

Manel Kape will fight at UFC 293 after all.

The company was quick to find Kape a new opponent after Kai Kara-France withdrew from the Sept. 9 card in Sydney, Australia, as multiple people with knowledge of the situation told MMA Fighting that Brazilian newcomer Felipe dos Santos has stepped into the bout. Both sides have agreed but contracts have yet to be signed.

Dos Santos, a teammate of Charles Oliveira at Chute Boxe Diego Lima, has a professional MMA record of 7-0 with one no-contest. He was scheduled to face Luciano Pereira on Tuesday at the UFC’s Contender Series, however his opponent withdrew due to medical issues.

Kape (18-6) is a former RIZIN champion who has dealt with difficulties getting matchups in the UFC over the past several years, experiencing cancelled bouts against top-ranked opponents Deiveson Figueiredo, Alex Perez, and now Kara-France.

“Starboy” was victorious in his past three octagon appearances, knocking out Ode Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov before earning a decision over David Dvorak.

UFC 293 airs live on pay-per-view and featured Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland for the middleweight title in the main event.

Damon Martin contributed to this report.