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UFC Flyweight

Manel Kape VS Kyoji Horiguchi

Meta Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Tale of the Tape

23-7-0 Record 36-6-0, 1 NC
32 Age 35
165 cm Height 163 cm
173 cm Reach 168 cm
southpaw Stance orthodox
87% Finish rate 61%
65% KO rate 44%
22% Sub rate 17%

Result Summary

Manel Kape def. Kyoji Horiguchi TKO (punches) · R3 2:42

In a highly anticipated flyweight rematch nearly a decade in the making, Kyoji Horiguchi found early success by utilizing his grappling and wrestling to stifle Manel Kape's striking output. Horiguchi controlled the early exchanges and dictated the pace, but Kape stayed patient and composed. In the third round, the momentum drastically shifted when 'Starboy' found his range and uncorked a devastating punch that connected flush on Horiguchi's jaw. The shot sent Horiguchi crashing to the canvas, and Kape immediately followed up with vicious ground-and-pound strikes to secure the TKO stoppage at 02:42. The knockout avenged Kape's previous RIZIN loss and solidified his status as a top contender for the flyweight title.

Fight Overview

Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi meet for the second time in a flyweight main event that brings serious divisional stakes. Kape has rattled off three straight stoppages, including a first-round knockout of Brandon Royval, to re-establish himself as a title contender, while Horiguchi returned to the UFC after years in RIZIN and Bellator and has won five straight — including a submission of Tagir Ulanbekov and a decision over Amir Albazi. The first meeting went to Kape; Horiguchi wants the slate wiped clean.

Keys to Victory

Manel Kape

  1. Press forward relentlessly and use his superior finishing power to force exchanges that play to his knockout threat.
  2. Close distance quickly to nullify Horiguchi's quick footwork and prevent him from controlling range with movement.
  3. Avoid grappling exchanges in the early rounds where Horiguchi can use his submission game to reset the fight.

Kyoji Horiguchi

  1. Use lateral movement and constant directional changes to frustrate Kape and make him miss punches at range.
  2. Mix in takedowns early to test Kape's wrestling defense and shift the fight to the ground where Horiguchi is dangerous.
  3. Pace the fight, control the center in later rounds, and use volume striking to outpoint Kape over 25 minutes.

Last 5 fights

Manel Kape

  1. W Brandon Royval TKO · R1 3:18 · 13 DEC 2025
  2. W Asu Almabayev TKO · R3 2:16 · 1 MAR 2025
  3. W Bruno Gustavo da Silva TKO · R3 1:57 · 14 DEC 2024
  4. L Muhammad Mokaev Decision · R3 5:00 · 27 JUL 2024
  5. W Felipe dos Santos Decision · R3 5:00 · 10 SEPT 2023

Kyoji Horiguchi

  1. W Amir Albazi Decision · R3 5:00 · 7 FEB 2026
  2. W Tagir Ulanbekov Submission · R3 2:18 · 21 NOV 2025
  3. W Nkazimulo Zulu Decision · R3 5:00 · 31 DEC 2024
  4. W Sergio Pettis Decision · R3 5:00 · 9 JUN 2024
  5. W Makoto Takahashi Submission · R2 3:44 · 31 DEC 2023

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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.

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