Manel Kape knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round of their rematch, completing a dramatic turnaround from their first meeting eight and a half years ago when Horiguchi had dominated and submitted him. Kape showed vastly improved technical precision in the rematch, weathering two rounds of Horiguchi's fast-paced counter-striking before catching the Japanese veteran with a right hand as Horiguchi lingered in range after throwing his combination. The finish gave Kape four consecutive knockouts at flyweight and made him the outright leader in knockout victories in UFC flyweight history with five.
Manel Kape cemented his place in UFC flyweight history on June 21, 2026, knocking out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round of their long-awaited rematch to record his fifth knockout victory at 125 pounds — more than any fighter in the division's history.
The finish was a story of patience and precision. Horiguchi dictated the pace across the opening two rounds with his trademark fast-paced counter-striking, but Kape absorbed the pressure and waited for his moment. It came when Horiguchi lingered in range after releasing a combination, leaving himself exposed to a right hand that sent him to the canvas. The stoppage made it four consecutive knockouts for Kape at flyweight and erased the result of their first encounter, a bout roughly eight and a half years earlier in which Horiguchi had dominated and submitted the Angolan.
Kape, 32, now stands 23-7 and is ranked sixth in the UFC flyweight division. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture as a southpaw, the five-foot-five Angolan lands 4.68 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 55 percent — numbers that reflect the technical sharpness on display Saturday night.
Horiguchi, 35, entered the rematch with a 36-6 record and remains one of the most accomplished flyweights of his generation. The Japanese veteran, who trains at American Top Team, generates 3.64 significant strikes per minute with a 47 percent accuracy rate and averages 1.67 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a multi-dimensional threat profile that made Kape's finish all the more notable.
Why it matters
- Kape now holds the outright record for knockout victories in UFC flyweight history with five.
- Four straight knockouts at flyweight establish him as the division's most dangerous finisher heading into any title conversation.
- The result reverses the only previous meeting between the two and eliminates a significant blemish from Kape's record.
- At 35, Horiguchi faces renewed questions about his path back toward divisional relevance.
