Open your eyes, Pantoja! Top flyweights headline UFC Vegas 119 and dream of a title fight

Pantoja backstage at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

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Without fighting since December, when he suffered a serious arm injury and ended up losing the flyweight title (up to 57 kg), Alexandre Pantoja believes that, in his return to the octagon, which is not yet scheduled, he will challenge his nemesis and current champion Joshua Van . However, Kyoji Horiguchi and Manel Kape are ready to disrupt the Brazilian's plans and could leave him behind. The top fighters in the category will headline UFC Vegas 119 , an event that takes place this Saturday (20), and the winner will be in a great position, getting closer to the top.

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Interestingly, these athletes are old acquaintances of Pantoja. Horiguchi is a friend and training partner of the Brazilian at the 'American Top Team' academy. Kape faced the veteran in his UFC debut in 2021 and lost by split decision. But now, the scenario has changed. It's true that since 'The Cannibal' was a dominant champion and lost the title due to injury and not because he was defeated by the Burmese fighter, his standing remains high. On the other hand, the time the former king of the division was sidelined allowed the other athletes to emerge.

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Kape and Horiguchi face off respectfully at UFC. Photo: Getty Images/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Therefore, since the Angolan is ranked second in the flyweight division and the Japanese fighter is fifth and a former title challenger, the possibility of the winner of the main event at UFC Vegas 119 jumping ahead of Pantoja is real. This is because both fighters are highly regarded, have a good reputation, and have been part of the elite division for years. It's worth noting that this will be the second time these professionals have faced each other. In their first encounter, held at Rizin in 2017, the Japanese fighter submitted 'Starboy' in the third round.

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Therefore, with such ingredients, the expectation is that the main fight of UFC Vegas 119 will not disappoint and will be a true battle of the highest level. Kape possesses exceptional striking quality and above-average power for the flyweight standard, while Horiguchi is more complete and displays a better fight IQ. If the first duel ended quickly in favor of the Japanese fighter, the rematch held eight years later has all the makings of a balanced fight and ending by decision, largely due to the evolution shown by the Angolan. The certainty is that, in addition to the fans, Pantoja and Van will be paying close attention to the showdown between the athletes.