Manel Kape knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round, recording his fourth consecutive knockout and claiming the record for most knockouts in UFC flyweight history with five. Horiguchi had dominated the first two rounds and was ahead early in the third before a momentary lapse in movement allowed Kape to land a decisive counter right hand from a switch in stance. The loss is a bitter blow for Horiguchi, who controlled large portions of the fight with speed, footwork, and a grappling advantage.
Manel Kape claimed a landmark piece of UFC history on June 21, stopping Kyoji Horiguchi by knockout in the third round to record his fifth flyweight division knockout — the most in UFC history at 125 pounds.
The finish extended Kape's consecutive knockout streak to four, underscoring just how dangerous the Angolan has become at the top of the division. Ranked sixth at flyweight, the 32-year-old out of Xtreme Couture carries a record of 23-7-0 and brings genuine finishing power alongside a striking accuracy of 55 percent and a significant strike output of 4.68 per minute. Standing five-foot-five with a 68-inch reach, Kape fights out of a southpaw stance, and it was a switch in stance that created the angle for the decisive counter right hand that ended the contest.
Horiguchi, 35, had done much of the work to that point. The Japanese veteran — now 36-6-0 — controlled the first two rounds with his trademark speed, footwork, and a grappling threat that registered 1.67 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career. Competing out of American Top Team, Horiguchi entered with one of the most decorated resumes in flyweight history, and his performance through two-and-a-half rounds reflected that class. A momentary lapse in movement in the third, however, gave Kape the opening he needed, and the finish arrived with brutal swiftness.
Why it matters
- Kape now holds the UFC flyweight record for most knockouts, with five, separating himself from the rest of the division's finishers.
- A four-fight KO streak at 125 pounds is extraordinary and positions the ranked sixth contender firmly in title conversation.
- The loss halts Horiguchi's momentum and raises difficult questions about where the 35-year-old fits among the flyweight elite going forward.
- The stylistic contrast — Kape's switching southpaw power against Horiguchi's speed and wrestling — produced one of the more compelling matchups the division has seen.
