Manel Kape chose Horiguchi fight over title shot wait

Manel Kape passed on the chance to sit out for a title shot and instead booked a rematch with Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 119 this Saturday.

The No. 2 flyweight, who stopped Brandon Royval in the first round earlier this year, was in line to challenge Joshua Van for the belt at UFC 327 in Miami but missed weight and lost the spot to Tatsuro Taira. That bout later moved to UFC 328. Kape, however, says the UFC gave him the option to stay on the shelf and wait for the next crack at Van — and he chose to fight Horiguchi instead, per MMA Mania.

"100 percent he's the hardest opponent in the division, that's why I picked this guy," Kape said at UFC Vegas 119 media day. "So I can scare the other guys that maybe might fight for the title. If I faced this guy, I didn't wait because I had the option to wait for the title shot. I chose the stronger opponent than both of them."

Why Kape's gamble could backfire

The Angolan fighter is riding a three-fight knockout streak and believes a win over the surging Japanese veteran will cement his case as the division's next challenger. Horiguchi, a former title contender who has won his recent outings, represents the biggest test available at 125 pounds. Kape and Horiguchi first met nine years ago, and the rematch is widely expected to serve as a title eliminator for whoever emerges from Van's rematch with Alexandre Pantoja later this year.

Still, Kape is gambling. Fighters who turn down title shots to stay active have watched everything collapse with a single loss. By choosing Horiguchi over the sidelines, Kape is betting his chin and gas tank hold up against the division's most dangerous grappler. UFC Vegas 119 airs Saturday night from the Apex in Las Vegas.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — UFC Vegas 119’s Manel Kape ‘could have waited’ for title shot but chose Kyoji Horiguchi to ‘scare the division’