Manel Kape opted against waiting for a title shot and instead he’s facing Kyoji Horiguchi in a rematch planned for a UFC main event on June 20 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
Kape confirmed the news with MMA Fighting on Tuesday after he opted to book another fight rather than wait for the winner of the upcoming flyweight title bout between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira taking place at UFC 327 in April.
“So June 20, Kyoji Horiguchi, main event in Vegas,” Kape told MMA Fighting. “That’s the fight I choose.
They give me the option to wait for the title, but I don’t want to wait. I’m on good timing, a good rhythm. Wait until the end of the year to fight for the title, that’s not the type of fighter I am.
“I want to keep rolling. I want to keep making money. I believe as a champion as a guy who thinks he’s the champion, you have to fight everyone. You’re going to fight him sooner or later or whatever it is, you’re going to have to fight everyone that they give you if you are a champion. So why not do earlier? So that’s what I did.”
Kape met Horiguchi for the first time back in 2017 when they were both competing for RIZIN in Japan.
On that night, Horiguchi secured a third-round submission victory via arm-triangle choke, but now almost a decade later, Kape is seeking revenge.
Currently riding a three-fight winning streak with a trio of knockouts, Kape appeared poised for a title shot against Van, but the UFC ultimately gave the opportunity to Taira instead. When the UFC approached him with a list of potential opponents if he wanted to stay active, rather than waiting for his own shot at the belt, Kape ultimately chose Horiguchi.
Since returning to the UFC, Horiguchi has gone 2-0 and made a fast rise up the flyweight ranks. The winner of his fight against Kape should almost assuredly slot right into the No. 1 contender role in the division.
UFC officials have yet to confirm the June 20 card, although it’s expected that additional fights should join the lineup over the next few weeks.
