Joshua
Van and Manel Kape
are trading barbs online.

Van successfully defended his
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title for the second
time at UFC
331 on Sept. 19, earning a unanimous decision over former
champion Alexandre
Pantoja in their rematch. Kape, who is considered a potential
challenger for Van's next title defense, has responded after the
champion took aim at him on social media.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van and Manel Kape escalate their
war of words

Van mocked Kape in a recent post on X while teasing a fight between
the two strikers.

“Yo fat f*ck,†Van wrote on X. “Start cutting now cuz u better make
weight !! We don't want another weight excuse. Let's give the
people what they want!!!â€

Kape soon responded, vowing to finish the champion quicker than
Charles
Johnson did in Van's most recent defeat.

“Finally came out of hiding, son?†Kape posted in response. “They
told me you weren't sure about facing your dad, but I guess there's
nowhere left to run. I promised I'd change your diapers, & I always
keep my word. By the way, the weight I'm putting on is just so I
can put you to sleep even earlier than Charles Johnson did.â€

Van fired back by mocking online speculation about Kape's
appearance.

“Hiding ??†Van wrote. “I been here, like I always am. You just too
busy shopping for bra , udk wht been goin on.â€

Kape returned to the baby-themed trash talk, prompting Van to
question his apparent fixation on diapers.

“The only things I've been shopping for are diapers & your health
insurance,†Kape wrote. “Trust me, you're gonna need both. And like
a good father, I'm making sure everything's taken care of in
advance.â€

“Wht with your obsession With diapers,” Van wrote. “Make me wonder
#tittyboi.â€

Trash talk between Joshua Van
and Manel Kape
has begun 🿠pic.twitter.com/HQdHK9sGva

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
September 30, 2026

Hiding ??
I been here, like I always am.
You just too busy shopping for bra , udk wht been goin on https://t.co/BVmYNtfrLn

— Joshua
Van (@JoshuaVanBT)
September 30, 2026

A welterweight matchup between Rhys McKee
and Ernesto
Rodriguez has been added to the
Professional Fighters League's upcoming event in Dubai.

McKee will meet Rodriguez on Nov. 14 at
PFL Dubai as the Northern Irish fighter looks to build momentum
in the welterweight division. He made a successful PFL debut in
April, while his Cuban-American counterpart is 1-1 in the
promotion.

Rhys McKee sees major stakes in his PFL Dubai fight against
Ernesto Rodriguez

McKee (15-7-1) endured two unsuccessful stints in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, going 0-2 and 1-3 on either
side of a championship run with
Cage Warriors.

He returned to the win column in his PFL debut at the promotion's
Belfast event in April, earning a decision victory over Alex
Lohore. “Skeletor†is excited about the stakes of his upcoming
bout and believes a victory could earn him a place in the
rankings.

“I’ve seen how big an event is there and know it’ll be a special
night, having a fight that will put me straight into the rankings
with a tough opponent in Ernesto; it’s all to play for,†McKee said
(via BBC).

Meanwhile, Rodriguez enters the matchup looking to rebound from his
short-notice defeat to Thad Jean in
July. He challenged Jean for the PFL welterweight title but lost
via technical knockout in the third round.

ð™’ð™€ð™‡ð™ð™€ð™ð™’ð™€ð™„ð™‚ð™ƒð™ ð™Žð™ƒð™Šð™’ð˜¿ð™Šð™’𙉠ð˜¼ð™ ð™‹ð™ð™‡ ð˜¿ð™ð˜½ð˜¼ð™„

#7 ranked Ernesto
Rodriguez returns on Saturday, November 14th clashes with
Rhys
McKee at PFL Dubai in a fun Welterweight matchup!

It all goes down LIVE from the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai 🇦🇪#PFLDubai
| Saturday… pic.twitter.com/eewsq6ywK0

— PFL (@PFLMMA)
September 30, 2026

Deiveson
Figueiredo has been training in Thailand in preparation for his
next bantamweight challenge.

The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight titleholder will face
Payton
Talbott at UFC
332 on Oct. 3 in Salt Lake City. After suffering four defeats
in his last five fights, the Brazilian has spent his latest
training camp in Thailand sharpening his muay thai.

Deiveson Figueiredo sharpens Muay Thai and grappling for Payton
Talbott

Speaking to Sherdog, Figueiredo said the trip was initially
intended as an opportunity to spend a month training and
experiencing Thailand before the UFC presented him with the matchup
against Talbott.

“Actually, I came here to spend a month sharpening my muay thai and
experiencing Thailand, which had been a longtime dream of mine,â€
Figueiredo said. “When I got here, the UFC offered me this fight,
so I decided to do my entire camp here.â€

Figueiredo worked on his striking with Phuket Fight Club head coach
Leo Elias while also training with wrestlers at the gym to sharpen
his grappling.

“Elias is everything people say he is,†Figueiredo said. “We worked
a lot on striking volume. I also got a lot of help from fighters
from Chechnya, Dagestan and Uzbekistan when it came to grappling. I
was able to learn a lot from them.â€

“Deus Da Guerra†believes he is prepared for wherever the fight
with Talbott takes place.

“I always look to mix things up. What I can say is that I'm ready
to neutralize Talbot's game, wherever the fight takes place.â€