Horiguchi's loss to Kape a tough result for a class above his record suggests

Kyoji Horiguchi's third-round knockout loss to Manel Kape was a devastating end to what had been a dominant performance. Horiguchi had effectively outworked and outpaced Kape through the first two rounds, landing crisp combinations and controlling the grappling exchanges, before a brief lapse in movement allowed Kape to land the finishing shot. Despite the loss, Horiguchi's skill level remains elite, and the hope is he earns another crack at a title fight.