Kyoji Horiguchi has vowed to keep chasing UFC gold despite suffering a heartbreaking knockout loss to Manel Kape in their highly anticipated rematch.
The former RIZIN champion was putting together a strong performance against Kape in the main event of UFC Vegas 119 before one perfectly timed punch changed the course of the fight.
Horiguchi looked sharp early, using his speed and experience to frustrate Kape. The Japanese veteran appeared to be in control through much of the contest, but everything unraveled in the third round when Kape landed a devastating counter right hand.
The punch left Horiguchi badly hurt and stumbling across the Octagon before he crashed face-first onto the canvas. Kape immediately swarmed with follow-up strikes, eventually landing another clean shot that forced referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the fight.
The defeat marked Horiguchi’s first loss since returning to the UFC, but the 35-year-old made it clear that the setback has not changed his long-term goal of becoming UFC flyweight champion.
“Thank you all for your support,” Horiguchi wrote on X. “I got spectacularly knocked out. I’m truly sorry. Kape was strong.
“Thank you! This is why I can’t quit martial arts. I’ll retrain and be back in no time! I’m not giving up on my dream yet.”
The loss was especially painful given Horiguchi’s history with Kape. The two first met under the RIZIN banner in 2017, when Horiguchi secured a submission victory. Their UFC rematch appeared to be following a similar script until Kape found the fight-ending shot.
Although Horiguchi briefly protested the stoppage inside the cage, he later accepted the result and showed respect to his opponent in his post-fight comments.
Despite the defeat, Horiguchi’s stock remains high in the flyweight division. Before running into Kape, he had gone unbeaten in his previous eight outings, compiling a 7-0 record with one no contest. The loss also snapped a run that dated back to April 2022.
Horiguchi later addressed fans in a video posted on his YouTube channel, admitting that the defeat was difficult to process but insisting that he remains focused on the future.
“Well, I feel a bit down, but I guess I just accept that I lost,” Horiguchi said. “But what do you say? I guess it’s time for the next one. I’ll be making a comeback, so please keep an eye out.”
A victory over Kape could have moved Horiguchi into title contention and potentially earned him a shot at UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van. Instead, he will now have to rebuild his momentum and work his way back into the championship picture.
Even so, Horiguchi remains one of the most accomplished fighters in the division. His professional record now stands at 36-6 with one no contest, and he has spent the majority of the last several years proving that he still belongs among the elite at 125 pounds.
The setback was also just the second loss of Horiguchi’s UFC career. His only previous defeat inside the promotion came against former flyweight king and widely regarded GOAT Demetrious Johnson in a title fight back in 2015.
