Las Vegas — Manel “Starboy” Kape defeated Japanese veteran Kyoji Horiguchi via third-round technical knockout at 2:42 to headline UFC Vegas 119 at the Meta APEX on Saturday night. Horiguchi controlled the pace through the opening two rounds using superior wrestling and leg kicks before Kape landed a counter right hand that dropped the veteran. Kape finished the bout with an uppercut from the back to secure the victory and exact revenge for his 2017 loss to Horiguchi under the RIZIN promotion.
What We Know
- Kape survived a crucial second-round takedown and sustained top control from Horiguchi before rallying to win in the third round.
- The victory officially settles a nearly decade-old score stemming from Horiguchi’s 2017 arm-triangle choke submission win over Kape in Japan.
- The loss drops Horiguchi’s professional record to 36-6 and stalls his immediate title aspirations following his return to the UFC.
- Both Kape and featherweight Murtazali Magomedov took home $100,000 performance bonuses following their standout finishes.
Horiguchi dictated the early terms of the fight. The Japanese flyweight utilized his speed and wrestling to keep Kape on the defensive through the first ten minutes. He secured a critical second-round takedown and maintained top control, forcing Kape to fight off his back and putting Horiguchi firmly ahead on the judges’ scorecards. The sequence of Horiguchi’s early dominance and Kape’s sudden comeback TKO shifted the momentum entirely.
In the third round, Kape absorbed a hard left hook but instantly fired back. He timed a counter right hand that dropped Horiguchi to his knees. Kape swarmed with ground-and-pound strikes, eventually landing a concluding uppercut that face-planted Horiguchi and forced referee Herb Dean to call the fight.
Kape acknowledged the difficulty of the bout while speaking to reporters. He noted the historical weight of their 2017 clash and praised his opponent. “Kyoji’s an amazing fighter,” Kape said in his post-fight quotes. “Maybe the best fighter I ever fought in my life. One thing about me, if I touch you one time, believe me, you’re going to be dead.”
Entering the fight ranked #2 in the flyweight division, Kape’s victory clears a direct path toward a title shot against current 125-pound champion Joshua Van. The official event results confirm Kape earned an additional $100,000 performance bonus for the stoppage.