Earlier tonight at UFC Vegas 119, knockout artist Manel Kape delivered a strong performance against Kyoji Horiguchi in a rematch.
When the potential flyweight title eliminator bout began, “Karate Kid” fought a well-measured Round 1. He landed non-stop body and leg kicks and also scored a takedown.
However, Kape also had his moments of success. Some of the shots he landed were enough to stun the Japanese fighter.
In Round 2 of the UFC Vegas 119 main event, Kyoji Horiguchi scored a takedown, got top control, and racked up ground control time while trying to set up a submission. However, “Starboy” kept Horiguchi busy even on the ground, managing to land strikes even while on his back.
As the 3rd stanza began, Manel Kape went all out, but Horiguchi landed a clean right hand that stunned the former and put him on the back foot momentarily. Just when it looked like the Japanese fighter had fully turned the tide in his favor, Kape answered with a right hand that dropped a dazed Horiguchi.
Smelling blood, the 32-year-old went for the final kill with uppercuts from the back, prompting Herb Dean to step in and stop the bout.
Official decision: Manel Kape defeats Kyoji Horiguchi by TKO in the 2:42 mark of Round 3.
Kape is now riding a four-fight win streak with all 4 wins coming via knockout. During the ocagon interview, he made it clear that he should be fighting for the UFC flyweight title next.
UFC Vegas 119: Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi ~ Highlights