Manel Kape knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round, extending his winning streak to four consecutive knockouts and setting a flyweight record with five stoppages in UFC competition. Horiguchi had dominated the first two rounds, repeatedly beating Kape to the punch and controlling the grappling, but left himself exposed after landing his trademark combination and pausing on the inside, allowing Kape to counter with a right hand and finish with follow-up ground strikes. The defeat is a significant setback for Horiguchi, who had outclassed Kape in their first meeting eight and a half years earlier via submission.
Manel Kape knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round on June 21, 2026, delivering his fourth consecutive UFC knockout and setting a flyweight division record with five stoppages in UFC competition.
Kape, nicknamed StarBoy, entered the fight ranked sixth in the flyweight division with a professional record of 23-7. The 32-year-old Angolan trains out of Xtreme Couture and fights out of a southpaw stance, standing five-foot-five with a 68-inch reach. He is one of the division's most dangerous finishers, averaging 4.68 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent striking accuracy — numbers that reflect both his output and his efficiency.
Horiguchi made those numbers look ordinary for much of the contest. The 35-year-old Japanese veteran, now 36-6, came in with a career record that reflects decades of elite competition, and he controlled the first two rounds by beating Kape to the punch and dominating the grappling exchanges. Horiguchi averages 1.67 takedowns per 15 minutes and had already demonstrated his submission threat in their first meeting, submitting Kape roughly eight and a half years earlier. He trains out of American Top Team and fights from an orthodox stance, measuring five-foot-four with a 63-inch reach.
The finish came when Horiguchi landed his trademark combination and briefly stalled on the inside, leaving himself open for a split second. Kape seized the moment with a right hand counter and closed the fight with follow-up ground strikes.
Why it matters
- Kape now holds the flyweight record for UFC stoppages with five, cementing his status as the division's most dangerous finisher
- A fourth straight knockout win strengthens his case for a title shot and will almost certainly push him up the divisional rankings from his current sixth-place position
- The loss is a serious setback for Horiguchi, who had previously outclassed Kape and will likely need a rebuild at 35 years old
- The style contrast — Kape's high-volume striking versus Horiguchi's counter-punching and wrestling — made the finish a reminder of how quickly momentum can shift in the flyweight division
