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A flyweight rematch nine years in the making as Manel Kape seeks revenge for his 2017 submission loss to Kyoji Horiguchi
Nine years ago in a RIZIN ring, Kyoji Horiguchi submitted Manel Kape with an arm-triangle choke in the third round of their bantamweight grand prix semifinal. That loss has haunted Kape ever since, and now the Angolan-Portuguese striker finally gets his shot at redemption under the UFC banner. Kape has evolved dramatically since that 2017 defeat. His striking has become one of the most feared wea…
Manel Kape (22-7) is ranked No. 2 at flyweight, known for his explosive power and showmanship. His CFR of 69.7 and 71.4% finish rate make him one of the division's most dangerous finishers. He lost to Horiguchi via arm-triangle choke at RIZIN in 2017.
Kyoji Horiguchi (36-5) is ranked No. 5 and is a former UFC flyweight title challenger and RIZIN champion. His well-rounded game (CFR 64.0, momentum 100) makes him competitive everywhere, though at 35 his best days may be behind him.
Kape's massive striking power upgrade since 2017 changes this matchup entirely
Horiguchi's submission threat from the first fight remains relevant
Kape needs to keep this standing; Horiguchi wants to mix striking with grappling
Age (Horiguchi 35 vs Kape 31) could be a factor in the later rounds
Horiguchi has already submitted Kape once and could do it again
If Kape gets drawn into Horiguchi's pace-control game, the fight becomes much harder for him
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