Belal Muhammad Shares Insights on Kape Vs. Horiguchi Rematch

WHO:

MMA Fighting - Manel Kape, Kyoji Horiguchi, Ion Cutelaba, Navajo Stirling, Hyder Amil, Christian Rodriguez, Melsik Baghdasaryan, Murtazali Magomedov, Vinicius Oliveira, Andre Fili, Kevin Borjas, Andre Lima, Bia Mesquita, Melissa Mullins, Mitch Raposo, Allan Nascimento, Gaston Bolanos, Michael Aswell, Levan Chokheli, Leon Shahbazyan, Luana Santos, Karol Rosa.

WHAT:

ESPN - Kape's victory improved his overall record to 24-7, while Horiguchi's record is now 36-7.

ESPN - Kape stated, "I never give up. I know adversity. I knew he was going to catch me at some point. I've felt his hands before. One thing about me, if I touch you one time, believe me, you're going to be dead."

MMA Fighting - Ion Cutelaba faced Navajo Stirling in a light heavyweight fight in the co-main event.

MMA Fighting - Kevin Borjas defeated Andre Lima via unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice.

MMA Fighting - Bia Mesquita defeated Melissa Mullins via submission (armbar) in Round 1 at 3:16.

MMA Fighting - Mitch Raposo defeated Allan Nascimento via split decision with scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29.

MMA Fighting - Gaston Bolanos defeated Michael Aswell via unanimous decision with scores of 29-28 across all three judges.

MMA Fighting - Levan Chokheli defeated Leon Shahbazyan via first-round TKO at 0:23.

MMA Fighting - Luana Santos defeated Karol Rosa via unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 from all three judges.

ESPN - Manel Kape defeated Kyoji Horiguchi by knockout at 2:42 of the third round.

ESPN - Kape's victory improved his UFC record to 8-2 and marked his fourth consecutive knockout win.

ESPN - Kape stated, "Horiguchi is an amazing fighter, the best fighter I've ever fought in my life," acknowledging Horiguchi's influence on his career.

ESPN - Horiguchi protested the stoppage to referee Herb Dean but appeared to go limp from Kape's second shot.

ESPN - Kape's win positions him as the likely No. 1 contender for the UFC flyweight title, pending a potential rematch between champion Joshua Van and former champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Sportskeeda - Manel Kape won against Kyoji Horiguchi in the main event of UFC Vegas 119.

MMA Fighting - Kape has won three straight fights and seven of his last eight.

MMA Fighting - Horiguchi is 2-0 since returning to the UFC in November 2025.

MMA Fighting - In the first meeting at a RIZIN event, Horiguchi defeated Kape via third-round arm-triangle choke submission.

WHERE:

MMA Fighting - The event took place at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

WHEN:

MMA Fighting - The official weigh-ins for the fight occurred on June 19, 2026.

MMA Fighting - The main event fight is scheduled for Saturday night.

HOW:

MMA Fighting - The main card was broadcasted on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET.

Kape's recent victory improved his overall record to 24 wins and 7 losses, while Horiguchi's record now stands at 36 wins and 7 losses. In his post-fight comments, Kape expressed his determination, stating, "I never give up. I know adversity. I knew he was going to catch me at some point," and added, "if I touch you one time, believe me, you're going to be dead." In other fights, Kevin Borjas defeated Andre Lima by unanimous decision, while Bia Mesquita secured a submission victory over Melissa Mullins in Round 1.