UFC Fight Night: Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi Date, Time, How to Watch
A pivotal flyweight rematch takes center stage this weekend as two top-5-ranked flyweights, Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi, face off for the main event at UFC Fight Night 279, also known as UFC Vegas 119.
The main event, taking place at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, is a rematch of their first fight when both fighters were fighting in Japan's premier MMA promotion, RIZIN. Back in 2017, the two met in the semifinals of the RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix MMA tournament at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and Horiguchi was the victor.
The headlining fight is also a crucial bout that could determine the next contender for the flyweight title belt, currently held by Joshua Van.
How to Watch
Date: June 20, 2026
Streaming: For fans in the United States, the entire event will stream live exclusively on Paramount+.
Preliminary Card: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT
Main Card: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m.PT
Full Fight Card
The event features a stacked card with a five-fight main card and a strong preliminary lineup.
Main Card
- Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
- Ion Cutelaba vs. Navajo Stirling (Light Heavyweight)
- Vinicius Oliveira vs. Andre Fili (Featherweight)
- Hyder Amil vs. Christian Rodriguez (Featherweight)
- Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. Murtazali Magomedov (Featherweight)
Preliminary Card
- Andre Lima vs. Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
- Karol Rosa vs. Luana Santos (Women's Bantamweight)
- Bia Mesquita vs. Melissa Mullins (Women's Bantamweight)
- Mitch Raposo vs. Allan Nascimento (Flyweight)
- Gasto Bolanos vs. Michael Aswell Jr. (Featherweight)
- Leon Shahbazyan vs. Levan Chokheli (Welterweight)
- Shane Collins vs. Otari Tanzilovi (Featherweight)
Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi 2
This fight serves as a rematch nearly a decade in the making. Their first meeting was in 2017 under the RIZIN Fighting Federation banner, where Horiguchi submitted Kape in the semifinals with an arm-triangle choke in the third round:
Later that night, Horiguchi went on to win the tournament final against Shintaro Ishiwatari:
Since then, both fighters have made their way into the UFC and have evolved significantly.
Manel Kape (22-7) has found his stride in the UFC, going 7-1 over his last eight fights. Known for his devastating knockout power and high-level striking ability, "Starboy" possesses some of the pound-for-pound most frightening striking in the division, particularly his overhand right.
A key to his recent success has been an increased willingness to engage and maintain output, as demonstrated in his blowout victory over Brandon Royval:
Kyoji Horiguchi (36-5, 1 NC) is considered a veteran and a legend in the sport. A former UFC title challenger and a champion in both RIZIN and Bellator, he is renowned for his karate style, dynamic athleticism, and well-rounded approach.
Since returning to the UFC, Horiguchi has had nothing but success, going 2-0 in his second stint.
His return fight against Tagir Ulanbekov was a masterclass, outstriking the Khabib Nurmagomedov-coached fighter before submitting him with a rear-naked choke.
While he may not possess Kape's one-shot power, he is an incredibly accurate and relentless striker who also boasts an excellent wrestling and scrambling game.
The main event will see a clash between Kape's sniper-like finishing ability against Horiguchi's pace and footwork. Both men, however, possess a technical mastery definitive of the flyweight division.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 6:59 AM.