UFC Fight Night: Manel Kape vs Kyoji Horiguchi Preview & Prediction
The main event settles a near-decade-old score at flyweight, as power-punching contender Manel Kape rematches the returning veteran Kyoji Horiguchi – the man who submitted him in their 2017 Rizin meeting.
Manel Kape vs Kyoji Horiguchi facts
What time are Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 279
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi main card
Manel Kape vs Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
Ion Cutelaba vs Navajo Stirling (Light Heavyweight)
Hyder Amil vs Christian Rodriguez (Featherweight)
Melsik Baghdasaryan vs Murtazali Magomedov (Featherweight)
Andre Fili vs Vinicius Oliveira (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi prelims
Andre Lima vs Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
Beatriz Mesquita vs Melissa Mullins (Women's Bantamweight)
Allan Nascimento vs Mitch Raposo (Flyweight)
Gaston Bolanos vs Michael Aswell Jr. (Featherweight)
Leon Shahbazyan vs Levan Chokheli (Welterweight)
Karol Rosa vs Luana Santos (Women's Bantamweight)
Shane Collins vs Otari Tanzilovi (Featherweight)
Manel Kape: “Starboy” looks to avenge the old blemish that still nags
Manel Kape (22-7) sits at number two in the flyweight rankings and arrives in his third straight main event riding three consecutive knockouts, the unlucky victims were; Bruno Silva, Asu Almabayev, and Brandon Royval. Kape is all about power, he stalks in both stances, sets traps behind his jab and feints, and looks to detonate his right hand. His only recent loss comes to a dull staring contest to grappler Muhammad Mokaev. His finishing threat is real and carries deep into fights.
Kyoji Horiguchi: “Karate Kid” rolls back the years as the underdog
Kyoji Horiguchi (36-5, 1NC) is one of the most decorated flyweights and bantamweights of his era, a former Rizin and Bellator champion, now number five in the UFC and on an eight-fight unbeaten run. Since returning to the promotion, he’s submitted Tagir Ulanbekov and outpointed Amir Albazi. Arguably the fastest and most elusive fighter in the division, the Japanese vet works off relentless lateral movement, varied kicks, and angles no other fighter can match. He’s been finished on the feet by both Kai Asakura and Sergio Pettis, and has a habit of spinning out of missed kicks, leaving windows to be exploited.
Manel Kape vs Kyoji Horiguchi prediction
The 2017 result was too long ago to mean much beyond the storyline itself. This is a clash of styles – Kape’s power against Horiguchi’s speed and movement across five rounds.
Kape’s path is violent and clear. He carries his power throughout, finds knockouts in the second and third as easily as the first, and has the explosiveness to blitz in and crack Horiguchi, whose durability has failed him in the past. That danger is increased by Horiguchi’s tendency to spin off missed kicks, exactly the split-second that Kape needs. Staying switched on against that threat for a full five rounds is no easy task.
Experience is on Horiguchi’s side. He may be the quickest man in the entire promotion, attacking from angles that Kape shouldn’t be able to predict. If he survives the dangerous early rounds, his cardio and championship-level experience should let him pull away late and bank the scorecards, plus the submission threat always lingers. If lesser fighters have been able to survive Kape, I feel like Horiguchi can too, I even see the possibility of snatching a late finish. Either way, this fight will be intense.
Prediction: Kyoji Horiguchi to win
