Las Vegas — It was a very different outcome for flyweight Manel Kape in his rematch with Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 119 on Saturday.
“When I was young, I was wild. I was fearless, I was very wild,” Kape (23-7) said following the fight, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. That meeting, in 2017 in RIZIN, saw Kape submitted in third round. At the Meta Apex on Saturday, the fight ended in the same round, but it was Kape with a TKO victory.
“This time I had to slow down, be more smart. Time gives you wisdom. Always time gives you wisdom. That time I was too young.”
Kape believes the win over Horiguchi should punch his ticket to a title fight. Joshua Van is the reigning flyweight champ, having defended his title against Tatsuro Taira last month. Alexandre Pantoja, who lost the title to Van due to an injury, is set to return in the near future however.
“It was enough. Even last time when I fight Brandon Royval, it was enough. Everything what I’m doing in the cage, it was enough, because I delivered spectacular [performances], I finished the guys,” said Kape. “But let them fight. I need to take some time off, take care of business, chill out with family, see my friends. I just want to rest a little bit.”
While he’s willing to let Van and Pantoja fight it out, it’s Van who has had some harsh words for Manel Kape in recent times. Kape, however, isn’t taking the bait. Sort of.
“I don’t feeling nothing. I don’t feel nothing. I just beat a guy that’s way better than him. My resume is way better than him,” stated Kape. “He’s just in the position that he is, because I broke my foot. And he stepped ahead against Royval, a fight that he lost, but the knockdown stole the show of course. But guess what? I knocked out Brandon Royval in the first round. Anything he can say, he’s my kid. He’s my kid. I can’t wait to take his diaper.”
And presumably his title.
Watch the full UFC Vegas 119 post-fight press conference with Manel Kape above.