Manel Kape defeated Kyoji Horiguchi by knockout in the third round in one of the most technically compelling flyweight bouts in recent memory. Horiguchi controlled the first two rounds with his speed and footwork, repeatedly landing the left hook on the move and dominating the grappling exchanges, but he lingered too long after a combination in the third and was caught and finished by Kape. The win extends Kape's knockout streak to four straight and gives him the outright record for most knockouts in UFC flyweight history at five. The result opens the door for a title shot, with a potential clash between Kape and a top contender now on the horizon.
Manel Kape stopped Kyoji Horiguchi by knockout in the third round on June 21, 2026, delivering one of the most dramatic finishes in recent flyweight history and cementing his place at the top of the division's all-time knockout rankings.
The Angolan southpaw, known as "StarBoy," improves to 23-7-0 with the victory. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the 32-year-old ranks sixth in the flyweight division and has now posted four consecutive knockout wins. The finish also gives him five career KOs in the UFC flyweight division — the outright record in that category. Kape's offensive output has long made him a dangerous proposition, averaging 4.68 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate, exceptional numbers for a 125-pound fighter.
Horiguchi, now 36-6-0, entered the contest as one of the most accomplished flyweights in MMA history. The 35-year-old Japanese veteran, now with American Top Team, brought a well-rounded game to the cage — averaging 1.67 takedowns per 15 minutes — and it showed in the opening two rounds. He controlled the distance with sharp footwork, landed the left hook repeatedly on the move, and won the grappling exchanges. A momentary lapse after a combination in the third, however, proved costly, and Kape's finishing instincts did the rest.
Why it matters
- Kape's record-setting five flyweight KOs in the UFC strengthen a title shot argument that will be difficult for matchmakers to ignore.
- Horiguchi's loss is only his sixth in a 42-fight career, but a third-round stoppage at this stage raises questions about his path back toward contention.
- The style contrast — Kape's high-volume striking against Horiguchi's speed and wrestling — produced a compelling blueprint for future flyweight matchmaking at the elite level.
