Overview
- Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi will top UFC Vegas 119 at the Meta Apex on June 20, while UFC officials have not yet released the full card.
- Manel Kape told MMA Fighting he chose this bout over waiting for a promised title shot because he wanted to stay active and keep earning.
- Flyweight champion Joshua Van accused Kape of lying about failed title talks in a radio interview, as Van prepares to defend against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327 in April.
- Fans and commentators panned the studio setting, noting the first meeting took place before a large crowd at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena, while the Meta Apex seats only a few hundred.
- Kyoji Horiguchi submitted Kape in their 2017 RIZIN bout, and both arrive on strong runs in the UFC, so several outlets frame the rematch as a likely No. 1 contender fight once Van vs. Taira concludes.