Asu Almabayev shares graphic image of eye injury from Manel Kape defeat

UFC flyweight Asu Almabayev has shared a graphic image of the eye injury he suffered during his defeat to Manel Kape.

Last Saturday night, Asu Almabayev went head to head with Manel Kape. He was riding a long win streak heading into their contest and many felt as if he’d be capable of causing Kape some real problems. In the end, though, he was beaten, with Manel making a real statement to the rest of the flyweight division.

RELATED: Pros react after Manel Kape TKO’s Asu Almabayev at UFC Vegas 103

However, the result didn’t come without controversy. While Kape did seem to be getting the better of Almabayev in most areas of the fight, Asu suffered a nasty eye poke just before the finish – which led on from some earlier incidents, too.

Now, Almabayev has shared the following image that highlights how bad his eye looks, even days after the bout.

Asu Almabayev’s eye after UFC Vegas 103 pic.twitter.com/eCqTZGmopt

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) March 4, 2025

Almabayev reveals extent of eye injury

It’s safe to say that Asu Almabayev has a right to feel upset. Yes, Kape was the one who appeared to be the more dominant out of the two, but this image is pretty haunting. It also reignites the debate about eye pokes in the UFC as a whole, following on from Henry Cejudo being unable to continue against Song Yadong.

Hopefully, some better measures are introduced in the months that lie ahead – because if they aren’t, we’re going to see even more of this in the sport.

What do you make of the injury sustained by Asu Almabayev? Do you believe that the right course of action would be an immediate rematch? What should be next for him in the UFC? Let us know your thoughts on this one, BJPENN Nation!