Manel Kape Secures Title Contention with Dominant TKO Victory Over Kyoji Horiguchi

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 20: Manel Kape of Angola prepares to face Kyoji Horiguchi of Japan in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on June 20, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Zuffa LLC

Manel Kape has effectively positioned himself for a world title shot after avenging a 2017 defeat to Kyoji Horiguchi via a decisive third-round TKO. While Kape may have to wait for champion Joshua Van to conclude his rematch with Alexandre Pantoja, “Starboy” has firmly established himself as the division’s next logical challenger. Here is a detailed breakdown of the results and bonuses from UFC Fight Night.

Event Overview

• Event: UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi 2 (UFC Vegas 119)
• Date and Venue: Saturday, June 20, 2026, Meta Apex, Las Vegas
• Main Event: Manel Kape def. Kyoji Horiguchi via TKO (punches), R3, 2:42
• Co-Main Event: Navajo Stirling def. Ion Cutelaba via TKO, R2, 3:02
• Streaming Platform: Paramount+
• Outlook: Kape is now the primary contender for the flyweight title

Main Event Analysis: Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi 2

Kyoji Horiguchi showed flashes of competitiveness, landing several strikes and successfully executing three takedowns throughout the bout. However, Kape remained composed, waiting for the perfect opening. The fight ended when Kape landed a devastating counter right hand that rocked Horiguchi, leading to a prompt stoppage by referee Herb Dean.

With this third-round TKO at 2:42, Kape has finally erased the RIZIN submission loss from 2017—the last stoppage defeat on his professional record. Improving his record to 23-7, Kape now sits at the top of the flyweight rankings, awaiting the conclusion of the Van vs. Pantoja title fight.

Main Card Results

The action at the Meta Apex featured a series of high-impact finishes:

• Manel Kape def. Kyoji Horiguchi via TKO (punches), R3, 2:42
• Navajo Stirling def. Ion Cutelaba via TKO (punches and elbows), R2, 3:23
• Christian Rodriguez def. Hyder Amil via submission (guillotine choke), R1, 3:43
• Murtazali Magomedov def. Melsik Baghdasaryan via submission (twister), R1, 1:17
• Vinicius Oliveira def. Andre Fili via TKO (elbows and punches), R2, 4:56

Preliminary Card Results

The preliminary bouts offered a mix of quick finishes and hard-fought decisions:

• Kevin Borjas def. Andre Lima via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), 129-pound catchweight
• Bia Mesquita def. Melissa Mullins via submission (armbar), R1, 3:16
• Mitch Raposo def. Allan Nascimento via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Gaston Bolaños def. Michael Aswell Jr. via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Levan Chokheli def. Leon Shahbazyan via TKO (leg kick and punches), R1, 0:23
• Luana Santos def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Shane Collins def. Otari Tanzilovi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Post-Fight Bonuses

The UFC awarded four $100,000 bonuses for the evening’s most impressive performances. Manel Kape and Murtazali Magomedov earned Performance of the Night awards for their dynamic finishes, while Vinicius Oliveira and Andre Fili shared the Fight of the Night honors for their back-and-forth war.

Additionally, every other fighter who secured a victory via finish received a $25,000 bonus.

Event Highlights

Following the UFC’s first card since the White House Freedom 250 event, the Apex delivered an evening defined by finishes. The standout moments included Magomedov’s rare twister submission in just 77 seconds and Levan Chokheli’s blistering 23-second TKO. Navajo Stirling’s dominant stop of Cutelaba and Oliveira’s late-round elbow stoppage further emphasized a high-paced, finish-heavy night of competition.

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