Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi face off at UFC Vegas 119

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 20: Manel Kape of Angola reacts after a knockout victory against Kyoji Horiguchi of Japan in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on June 20, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi finally ran it back — this time, inside the UFC octagon — and Kape was able to get one back from his pre-UFC days and more than likely punch his ticket to a flyweight title shot. The questions remain are when will Kape get his opportunity, and what’s next for Horiguchi after UFC Vegas 119? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck discusses where Kape goes from another stoppage victory, and if he should be rooting for Joshua Van or Alexandre Pantoja more when the eventual championship rematch happens. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Navajo Stirling following his stoppage win over Ion Cutelaba in the co-main event, Christian Rodriguez following his first-round submission win in the featured bout, along with fellow main card winners Murtazali Magomedov, Vinicius Oliveira, and more. Plus, your matchmaking suggestions following the UFC’s latest return to the Meta APEX. Listen to the UFC Vegas 119 edition of On To the Next One. Audio-only versions of the podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 20: Manel Kape of Angola reacts after a knockout victory against Kyoji Horiguchi of Japan in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on June 20, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Manel Kape has done more than enough to earn a title shot, especially after knocking out Kyoji Horiguchi in the main event of UFC Vegas 119 on Saturday night at the Meta APEX. While Kape’s next bout is likely for gold, it’s now a matter of when as fans await the highly-anticipated rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. Will Kape get his shot in 2026? Following the UFC’s latest Fight Night event, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to the card, Kape’s big win over Horiguchi in a comeback, and how matchups with Van and Pantoja could go. Additionally, they recap Navajo Stirling’s co-main event win over Ion Cutelaba and Stirling’s ceiling in the division, other standout moments on the card, and much more. Watch the UFC Vegas 119 post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your pods.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 20: (L-R) Manel Kape of Angola punches Kyoji Horiguchi of Japan in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on June 20, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Manel Kape had to wait nearly a decade but he finally avenged his past loss to Kyoji Horiguchi when he delivered a vicious knockout in the third round in the UFC Vegas 119 main event. Kape fell to Horiguchi in their first encounter back in 2017 when he suffered a third round submission loss so there was a lot riding on the rematch on Saturday. A slow start had Kape down early but he finally found an opening with a perfectly timed counter right hand that wobbled Horiguchi badly during a striking exchange on the feet. Kape took advantage after Horiguchi fell to the ground as he started blasting away with punches. He finally ended it after he threw a shot under Horiguchi’s arm and that flattened him on the mat as referee Herb Dean stopped the fight with the end coming at 2:42 in the third round. OUT OF NOWHERE FOR MANEL KAPE!!!! The right hand into GNP ends this one in R3! [ #UFCVegas119 | LIVE ON @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/YbBP5UP0MW — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) June 21, 2026 “Kyoji’s an amazing fighter,” Kape said after the win. “Maybe the best fighter I ever fought in my life. I want to be like him and if I’m here in this position it’s because of Kyoji. “One thing about me, I never give up. I face more adversity in life. I knew he was going to touch me at some point. One thing about me, if I touch you one time, believe me, you’re going to be dead. After trading some kicks early, Horiguchi connected with a stiff punch but Kape fired back with one of his own and it briefly wobbled the former RIZIN champion. On the reset, Horiguchi showed off his blinding speed but Kape was just biding his time to set up his striking combinations. Kape shrugged off a couple of takedown attempts but Horiguchi did slip through with a nasty body kick just before the round ended. On the restart, Horiguchi connected with a left hook that caught Kape off guard and put him on wobbly legs momentarily. That led to a takedown from Horiguchi before moving into half-guard where he started to apply his ground game. While he was holding onto Horiguchi to prevent him from getting much room to work, Kape did manage to throw several slicing elbows to the top of the head. But Horiguchi maintained control as he tacked on a round to his scorecard. As the fight moved into the third round, Kape started to get loose with his striking as he came out gunning for Horiguchi. Just when it looked like Kape was gaining momentum, Horiguchi cracked him with a hard counter shot that immediately hit the pause button on “Starboy.” Just when it looked like Horiguchi was taking over, Kape hammered him with a brutal right hand and that immediately put the Japanese veteran on rubber legs. A second later, Kape had Horiguchi down on the ground just eating punches in succession. Kape finally ended it with a shot that put Horiguchi flat on his face and the referee saved him from further harm. It may not have been the dominant performance he wanted but Kape still delivered another emphatic finish as he wins his fourth fight in a row — all by knockout. Now Kape believes it’s his time to fight for the title after he thought he was already getting that shot before ultimately deciding to take the Horiguchi rematch instead. “I don’t know what the plans UFC has,” Kape said. “I fought the best fighter in this division. I need to fight for the belt.”

Manel Kape had a slow start but still delivered a highlight reel finish

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: (L-R) Manel Kape of Angola and Kyoji Horiguchi of Japan face off during the UFC Fight Night official weigh-ins at Meta APEX on June 19, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) This is the live blog for Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi 2, the flyweight main event for UFC Vegas 119 on Saturday at the UFC Meta APEX. Currently ranked No. 2 in the UFC’s flyweight rankings, Kape has an opportunity to solidify a title shot and avenge a loss on Saturday when he faces Horiguchi. Kape and Horiguchi first fought in 2017 in the RIZIN bantamweight grand prix that Horiguchi went on to win, after he submitted Kape with an arm-triangle choke in the third round. Kape rebounded with plenty of success in RIZIN, but really came into his own after moving to the UFC, where he’s currently on a three-fight winning streak, and right on the cusp of fighting for the flyweight title. A former UFC flyweight title challenger, Horiguchi left the UFC in 2017 while riding a three-fight winning streak. He spent the next eight years racking up accomplishments and titles in RIZIN and Bellator, before returning to the UFC last year, where he’s quickly put together back-to-back wins over ranked opponents. If he can beat Kape a second time, Horiguchi’s next fight will likely be for the belt. Check out the live blog for Kape vs. Horiguchi 2 below. Preamble Alrighty, this has been a card. It’s moved pretty quickly on the main card, and now we’re here to the main event, which rocks. Can’t wait for this one. Walkouts and Pre Fight Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Official Decision Post Fight

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The UFC octagon is back in Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 279 at the Meta Apex. A flyweight rematch between former RIZIN Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape and former UFC flyweight championship challenger Kyoji Horiguchi headlines the fight card. Follow along for the live ...

On Saturday night the leading MMA promotion returns to Las Vegas for another edition of UFC Fight Night. The card […]

Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi battle for a title shot at UFC Vegas 119