"He's very strong on the ground" - Manel Kape talks about training with Khabib Nurmagomedov, wants to fight Tim Elliott next

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Manel Kape talks about training with Khabib Nurmagomedov, calls for Tim Elliot fight [Front images via UFC.com; background image via @manelkape on IG]

Manel Kape had nothing but praise for Khabib Nurmagomedov after he got another chance to train with the former undefeated lightweight champion.

Kape recently posted what appears to be a post-workout photo of himself with Nurmagomedov at the famed American Kickboxing Academy. The Angolan up-and-comer has long been a member of AKA's branch in Thailand. However, he hasn't had the chance to train as much as he'd like with the Russian superstar, who is a fixture at the main gym in San Jose, California.

With that in mind, Kape said he made the most out of every opportunity to train with 'The Eagle.' Catching up with Andrew Whitelaw of Sportskeeda MMA, Kape said:

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"[Khabib and I] trained before [and] we're training. The man is very strong on the ground and he's very good. I learned a little bit [from] the training that we had with him. [I learned] how to manage my wrestling, my hips and everything. They are very good."

Kape is gearing up for a flyweight showdown against Mudaerji Su at the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade on April 23. However, the Angolan standout already has his sights set on a future matchup with his social media rival Tim Elliott.

Speaking about a potential fight with Elliott, Kape said:

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"After this fight, yes. I was supposed to fight him in March but he rejected the fight. Actually, not March, it was February. He rejected the fight and we tried to make this fight and he [didn't] accept but he said something on Twitter about me. Yeah, it will be a fun fight."

Check out our exclusive interview with Manel Kape:

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Manel Kape reveals what he has learned from Khabib Nurmagomedov

Manel Kape previously claimed that training with Khabib Nurmagomedov has turned him into a more aggressive fighter. After a rocky start to his UFC career, Kape appears to have turned the corner as he now has two consecutive wins under his belt.

According to the Angolan fighter, training with Nurmagomedov has elevated his wrestling gam, something he believes was lacking from his offensive arsenal. He told Sportskeeda MMA in a previous interview:

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"He teach me how to maul people... Because I'm more of a jiu-jitsu guy, I come from jiu-jitsu. He gives some very good details on wrestling. It was very good."

Watch our previous interview with Manel Kape below:

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