Manel Kape eyes title fight after knockout win over Horiguchi

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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 made history with his finish over Kyoji Horiguchi in the UFC Vegas 119 main event as he now holds the record for the most knockouts in flyweight history with six. The win also helped Kape avenge a past loss to Horiguchi when they met in RIZIN back in 2017 so there was a lot riding on the fight, and “Starboy” delivered in emphatic fashion. “Of course, any victory makes anyone happy,” Kape said about the win at the UFC Vegas 119 post-fight press conferene. “This victory because this is revenge, I’m so happy because everything I’ve been working [on] worked out. “When I was younger, I was wild. I was fearless. I was very wild. This time I have to slow down, be more smart. Time gives you wisdom. Always time gives you wisdom. That time I was too young.” Kape’s victory serves as his fourth win in a row overall — all of those wins by knockout — and it should put him in position to finally compete for UFC gold. It also doesn’t hurt matters much that Kape has already engaged in a very public war of words with reigning flyweight champion Joshua Van after there were rumors they were supposed to clash earlier in the year. But Kape doesn’t necessarily classify his growing rivalry with Van as bad blood, although he clearly looks forward to the opportunity to throw down with him in the octagon. “I don’t feel nothing,” Kape said about Van. “I just beat the guy [in Brandon Royval] way better than him. My resume is way better than him. He’s just in the position that he is because I broke my foot. He stepped ahead against Royval. A fight that he lost, but the knockdown stole the show, of course. But I knocked out Brandon Royval in the first round. “Anything he can say — he’s my kid. He’s my kid and I can’t wait to take his diaper.” With hopes to eventually pass Derrick Lewis for the most knockouts in UFC history, Kape is confident he would do the same thing to Van that he’s done to six other opponents in the promotion. “Of course [I knock him out],” Kape said. “Definitely.” The only obstacle standing in Kape’s path to a title shot is former champion Alexandre Pantoja, who lost the belt to Van following a freak injury that ended their fight early in the first round. Pantoja has been recovering ever since and all signs point to him being ready to compete again in the very near future, which potentially sets up the rematch against Van. While Kape acknowledges that he’s done plenty to warrant a title shot of his own, he’s not sweating a delay in that happening if the UFC is determined to book Van against Pantoja next. “It was enough,” Kape said about the win over Horiguchi earning him a title shot. “Even last time when I fought Brandon Royval, it was enough. Everything what I do in the cage, it was enough. Because I delivered the spectacular [knockout]. I finish the guys. “But let them fight. I need to take some time off. Take care of business, chill out with family, see my friends. I just want to rest a little bit.”

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Manel Kape addresses the bad blood he already shares with UFC flyweight champ Joshua Van