Monster Energy's Manel Kape Stops Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Fight Night 279 in Las Vegas

32-Year-Old from Luanda, Angola, Earns TKO Victory and $100,000 Performance of the Night Bonus

LAS VEGAS, June 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- What a shocker! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Manel Kape on defeating Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Fight Night 279 in Las Vegas on Saturday night. In the Main Event fight contested in the flyweight division, the 32-year-old from Luanda, Angola, earned the win via surprise TKO stoppage in Round 3. The come-from-behind victory also earned Kape the UFC's $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

UFC Fight Night 279 – Kape Vs. Horiguchi, also known as UFC Vegas 119, was contested in front of a live crowd of spectators inside the Meta APEX facility in Las Vegas. Featuring a total of five bouts on the Main Card and seven Prelims matchups, the entire event was broadcast live on the Paramount+ service.

In Saturday night's Main Event fight, Monster Energy athlete "Starboy" Kape (23-7) stepped into the Octagon on a three-fight win streak with all victories earned by stoppage. Most recently, the former RIZIN Bantamweight Champion defeated Brandon Royval at a UFC Fight Night in December 2025. Now he wanted to settle his score with Horiguchi.

Hailing from Japan, Horiguchi (36-6-1) previously earned a decision victory over Amir Albazi at a UFC Fight Night in February 2026. Before joining the UFC, Horiguchi competed against Kape in the RIZIN promotion for high stakes: In the semifinals of the 2017 Rizin World Grand Prix, Horiguchi submitted Kape, igniting their rivalry. Time for Kape to flip the script!

Saturday night's fight started with both fighters gauging each other from a distance with Horiguchi throwing quick kicks and Kape looking to land his notorious counterstrikes while controlling the center of the Octagon. Late in the round, Kape found himself taken down by Horiguchi but defended until the bell.

The second round saw Horiguchi sting Kape with a heavy shot, followed by an immediate takedown. Although Kape survived and avoided a submission, he took significant damage in a round mostly controlled by his Japanese rival. Going into the third round, Kape needed something big to reverse the tide. And he found it!

After engaging Horiguchi in a wild strike exchange early in Round 3, Kape found the opening he needed to seal the deal: A focused right counterstrike wobbled Horiguchi, and Kape lost no time pushing his opponent to the canvas while raining punches to the head and body from the top. Ultimately, referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 2:42 of Round 3 with Kape as the winner by TKO. The upset victory earned Kape the UFC's $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus and put him into the conversation as an upcoming UFC Flyweight Championship contender.

"I knew he was going to touch me at some point. Because I felt his hand before. But, if I touch you one time, believe me, you're gonna be dead," said Monster Energy's Kape upon taking the win at UFC Vegas 119.

Kape is now on a four-fight, all-stoppage victory streak and ready for his next challenge. Stay tuned! Download Photos here.

Monster Energy's elite UFC athletes include Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Weili Zhang, Marlon Vera, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Johnny Walker, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, Shara Magomedov, Maycee Barber, Aaron Pico, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Kayla Harrison, Malcolm Wellmaker, Mansur Abdul-Malik, Manuel Torres, Joshua Van, Reinier de Ridder, Alessandro Costa, Esteban Ribovics, Youssef Zalal, Jiri Prochazka, Manel Kape, Payton Talbott, and Mikey Musumeci.

For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser. Contact: [email protected].

About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock-and-roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy, including all of its drinks, at www.monsterenergy.com.          

CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: [email protected]

SOURCE Monster Energy