Kyoji Horiguchi Owned Two Rounds, Then Manel Kape's Right Hand Sent Him Face-First To A Title Shot

Holy smokes, did you guys catch UFC Vegas 119 last night? Talk about a main event that delivered! They threw down right there at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, and what a spectacle it was. Forget all the behind the scenes noise, Kyoji Horiguchi versus Manel Kape was one of the best "Fight Night" main events of the entire year. With their history and serious title implications on the line, these ace strikers went at it, and you honestly could not ask for more. Plus, the rest of the card was solid, featuring some quality new fighters. Let's talk about the absolute wildness we witnessed.

Kape Serves Up Ice-Cold Revenge After 12 Minutes of Pain

Manel Kape earned his revenge on Kyoji Horiguchi, but man, it was not easy. For nearly twelve minutes, Horiguchi looked absolutely phenomenal. He picked Kape apart from range, hammering his mid-section with those long, snapping kicks. When they got close, Horiguchi was routinely striking first and then disappearing, landing the better shots. Every time Kape tried to surge forward, Horiguchi timed him perfectly with hard counter punches that wobbled "Starboy" more than once. And let's not even get started on the wrestling; Horiguchi’s ground game was outstanding, spending almost the entire second round in top position. He was controlling the fight, putting on a clinic. But it still was not enough. Avoiding Kape’s power is an all-or-nothing game. Horiguchi fought tremendously right up until Kape dropped him with a brutal right hook. That was it. The fight was over. Kape jumped on his rival, slamming home a nasty uppercut from the turtle position. Horiguchi slumped forward directly onto his own face, and the referee called it immediately. Credit to Kape for upping the action in round three. His pressure, even if it did not always land, created the exchanges he needed for that counter shot. Now, depending on the flyweight title timeline, Kape versus Joshua Van would be an incredible matchup. If Alexandre Pantoja is ready to go before that, Kape is more

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than worthy of facing whoever wins that bout.

What Even Was That?! A Bizarre Finish and a Quick Twister

The night got even weirder with Ion Cutelaba versus Navajo Stirling. "The Hulk" is not exactly known for his strategic game plans; this is the guy who famously lost to Magomed Ankalaev by faking an injury. So, with that in mind, Cutelaba was actually doing decent work against Stirling for most of the fight. He consistently created wrestling exchanges, threatened a couple submissions, and landed enough strikes to keep Stirling honest. Of course, Stirling was much sharper with his long range punching, picking his shots beautifully. But it was a gritty fight until the very last sequence. Cutelaba wrestled his way into a good position, then Stirling turned the tables with a takedown of his own, and... Cutelaba just collapsed. He sat there with his back to the fence, stopped moving, and let Stirling elbow him until the referee stepped in. Seriously bizarre to see a veteran just fall apart like that mid-fight. Regardless, Stirling has now won five straight inside the Octagon. He is a bright prospect ready for a ranked opponent, though he should not be rushed just yet. And then, Murtazeli Magomedov made an absolute statement in his debut, submitting Melsik Baghdasaryan in just 77 seconds. Baghdasaryan walked right into the pocket, and Magomedov was happy to meet him. Magomedov quickly changed levels, dragged his foe to the floor, and moved right to the back. With the body triangle locked in, Baghdasaryan tried to spin into guard and found himself tapping out to a twister. This specific twister, sometimes called the Scottish or Japanese twister, is more subtle than the classic version. It really highlights when a defending fighter fails to notice that top leg of the body triangle dangling between their own feet. What a debut! What a night of fights! Kape securing his title shot is huge for the flyweight division, and you have to wonder what is next for Stirling after that wild win. Magomedov also looks like a serious problem. The flyweight division is heating up fast, and we are here for it!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.