UFC flyweight Kyoji Horiguchi issued a statement after getting knocked out by Manel Kape in the main event of UFC Vegas 119.
Horiguchi started the fight off strongly, and he even won the first two rounds on two of the three judges’ scorecards. But the tides turned in the third round, as Kane knocked Horiguchi down and then finished him off with ground and pound for a win that likely stamps his place as the No. 1 contender in the UFC flyweight division.
For Horiguchi, it was a tough defeat, as he was looking good before the knockout. Unfortunately, only one man can win in a fight, and Horiguchi was on the wrong end of the result.
But the Japanese native is vowing not to give up on his quest for UFC gold.
Kyoji Horiguchi Reacts After Knockout Loss to Manel Kape
Taking to his social media following UFC Vegas 119, Horiguchi shared his reaction to brutally losing to Kape in the main event.
“Thank you all for your support. I got spectacularly knocked out. I’m truly sorry. Kape was strong. Thank you! This is why I can’t quit martial arts. I’ll retrain and be back in no time! I’m not giving up on my dream yet,” Horiguchi wrote on his X.
ケイプ選手強かった。 ありがとうございました！
これだから格闘技は辞められないよね。 鍛え直してまたすぐに戻ってきます！ まだ俺の夢は諦めない。
It’s a tough statement to read, as Horiguchi is considered one of the classiest mixed martial artists in the world, but he was knocked out on Saturday night for the whole world to see. Still, he’s one of the best flyweights in the world, and he’ll be back.
What’s Next for Kyoji Horiguchi?
There’s no doubt losing to Kape is a tough loss for Horiguchi, who saw his five-fight win streak snapped in the process.
Had he beaten Kape, Horiguchi may have gotten the title shot against Van. Now, he’ll have to take a slight step backwards in the UFC’s top-15 rankings.
For his next opponent, some potential options include Brandon Moreno, Tatsuro Taira, and Steve Erceg. These are all top-10-ranked flyweights that are not currently booked, so they could all be potential options for Horiguchi.
While this was no doubt a tough loss for Horiguchi to swallow, he’ll be back. Remember, he left the UFC a decade ago, only after his first title run at 125 lbs, only to return and make a second title run later in his career, so don’t completely count him out of winning UFC gold one day.
Kyoji Horiguchi Issues Statement After KO Loss to Manel Kape