Manel Kape Calls for Title Shot – Will He Get It?

Manel Kape entered UFC Vegas 119 as the No. 2-ranked flyweight, on a hot streak, tied for the UFC flyweight record for most knockouts. But UFC Vegas 119 presented a challenge for him in a familiar foe – Kyoji Horiguchi, who submitted him when the two fought in RIZIN on New Year’s Eve 2017.

And now, Kape seemingly can’t be denied after his finish of Horiguchi, not only gaining revenge, but also making a strong statement that he deserves to be in line for a UFC flyweight title shot.

It didn’t look that way when the fight started, however. Kape appeared to be careful at the fight’s start, going to the center and looking to keep Horiguchi at bay. But Horiguchi landed some strong kicks during the first round, and he added a takedown before the round’s end.

Horiguchi then brought the fight quickly back to the ground during the second, dominating that five-minute frame from up top, with plenty of MMA fans and pundits having Horiguchi up two rounds to none.

But in the third round, things finally came together for Kape, and he showed the power that has brought about Kape’s aura as a dangerous fighter in the 125-pound division. Kape picked up his offensive output, and Horiguchi attempted to answer back.

One missed punch, however, and Kape connected with a quick right that slumped Horiguchi. The rocked Horiguchi tried to cover up as Kape unleashed some strong ground-and-pound at Horiguchi’s head and upper body. Then, from the top, Kape snuck an uppercut around Horiguchi from behind, landing on Horiguchi’s chin, causing Horiguchi to slump to the mat, seemingly, if ever so briefly, unconscious.

Kape, the former RIZIN bantamweight champion, is now 8-3 in the UFC since jumping to the Octagon from the Japanese promotion in 2021. Kape may have lost his first two bouts, but he’s 8-1 since then. In fact, two of Kape’s losses in the UFC have come against worthy names – former champion Alexandre Pantoja and Muhammad Mokaev, who was one of the top-talented flyweights when he and the UFC infamously parted ways in 2024.

The two losses in 2021, combined with weight misses, caused plenty of concern about Kape over the years. But with his win streak and finishes, Kape has reminded everyone why he is considered one of the best athletes in this sport at 125.

He now even has a place in the UFC record books – his four-fight finish streak is the longest in UFC flyweight history and his six finishes in the division gives him the UFC record, breaking a tie with former multiple-time title challenger Joseph Benavidez.

Will Kape get a title shot next, however? That remains to be seen. Joshua Van presents a fresh championship matchup for the division. But Pantoja is still very clearly owed a rematch against Van after an injury caused Pantoja to lose his UFC 323 title fight with Van, ending Pantoja’s title run in anticlimactic fashion.

If Pantoja is not ready by the time Van is booked for another title fight, then the title shot should be Kape’s for the taking. If not, perhaps Kape could get booked against Tatsuro Taira, a name in the top-5 who Kape hasn’t faced yet – and the man who fell just short of defeating Van for the title at UFC 328.

If the UFC books Kape vs. Taira and Kape wins, however, no one can deny Kape isn’t worthy of the title shot. Heck, the UFC should even have Kape on standby if either Van or Pantoja can’t make a rematch – whenever that gets scheduled.

“StarBoy” is a UFC flyweight star indeed.