Kyoji Horiguchi

Alexandre Pantoja says he is fully recovered from the arm injury he suffered in December at UFC 323, when he lost his flyweight title to Joshua Van in the opening seconds of their bout. Pantoja has been training since shortly after the injury and is now ready to compete again. With Van having since added a title defense over Tatsuro Taira, Pantoja is focused on winning back the belt and says he has "unfinished business" with the champion.

Joshua VanTatsuro TairaManel KapeBrandon Royval+2

Manel Kape retains his No. 2 position in the flyweight Media Rankings following his UFC Vegas 119 win and also sits at No. 2 in the newly launched Meta Rankings. Kyoji Horiguchi remains at No. 5 in the Media Rankings. The Media Rankings will continue to serve as the official rankings for the foreseeable future, with no timeline announced for a full transition to the Meta Rankings.

Manel KapeKyoji Horiguchi

Thirteen years ago, Shooto champion Kyoji Horiguchi and Pancrase champion Shintaro Ishiwatari met in a memorable clash at VTJ 2nd. The fight went to the fifth round, where Ishiwatari mounted a counter despite being rocked by Horiguchi's relentless striking.

Kyoji Horiguchi

Kyoji Horiguchi has spoken candidly about his knockout defeat to Manel Kape at UFC Vegas 119, describing the finish as a spectacular stoppage. The comments come as Horiguchi takes stock of his performance following the setback.

Manel KapeKyoji Horiguchi

Flyweight Charles Johnson has issued a callout targeting Kyoji Horiguchi or Tatsuro Taira for a fight in Japan following his UFC Baku bout. Johnson made clear he wants to make a statement in the Japanese market after his next appearance.

Tatsuro TairaCharles JohnsonKyoji Horiguchi

Manel Kape defeated Kyoji Horiguchi with a right hook that ended the contest, coming after Horiguchi had controlled much of the action with his left hand and takedown work. Kape switched his stance from southpaw to orthodox immediately before landing the decisive counter, catching Horiguchi in a momentary lapse. Despite the loss, Horiguchi demonstrated he remains a high-level flyweight, and Kape is considered deserving of a title shot given the rarity of his knockout power at 125 pounds.

Manel KapeKyoji Horiguchi