Kape KOs Horiguchi and demands the flyweight title

UFC Vegas 119 belonged to Manel Kape, who avenged a nine-year-old loss to Kyoji Horiguchi with a third-round TKO and immediately campaigned for a shot at champion Joshua Van. Off the cards, the White House fallout kept rolling: Justin Gaethje ruled out retirement and an Ilia Topuria rematch, while Alex Pereira's officiating grievance drew a sympathetic Dana White. Bookings, a new AI rankings system, and a glove standoff rounded out a busy news day.

Kape avenges Horiguchi, says he's done waiting for a title shot

Manel Kape (23-7) reversed his 2017 RIZIN submission loss to Kyoji Horiguchi, rallying from two rounds down to score a third-round TKO in the UFC Vegas 119 main event at the Apex. The finish earned a Performance of the Night bonus and pushed Kape to four straight wins. He argued his resume already merits a crack at flyweight champion Joshua Van, while a contrite Horiguchi vowed to return after being 'spectacularly knocked out.'

Why it matters: Kape has cleared out the contender ranks at 125 and is running out of opponents to justify denying him a title shot, with Van and a returning Alexandre Pantoja the only names ahead of him.

Gaethje rules out retirement — and a Topuria rematch

Less than a week after taking the undisputed lightweight title from Ilia Topuria via fourth-round corner stoppage at the White House, Justin Gaethje told Joe Rogan he plans to keep fighting. He flatly rejected an immediate Topuria rematch ('He quit on the stool... he needs to fight Paddy or someone like that') and compared the win to his career-altering 2020 stoppage of Tony Ferguson. Gaethje also renewed his push for higher pay and equity from the promotion.

Why it matters: The 145-to-155 picture now hinges on Gaethje's next move, with Arman Tsarukyan the logical No. 1 contender and Topuria sidelined by a six-month medical suspension for a broken orbital bone.

Pereira's Herb Dean feud escalates as White concedes the fouls

Alex Pereira's complaint that he was hit with illegal strikes to the back of the head during his interim-title TKO loss to Ciryl Gane intensified after referee Herb Dean drew similar criticism for the Andre Fili vs. Vinicius Oliveira finish at UFC Vegas 119. Pereira reposted the sequence calling to 'retire this ref.' Dana White stopped short of blaming Dean but said it's 'undeniable' Pereira ate shots to the back of the head and insisted 'Pereira is not a whiner.'

Why it matters: A potential appeal or rematch order hangs over the heavyweight picture, where Gane is angling to unify against Tom Aspinall and Pereira says he intends to stay at heavyweight.

Du Plessis returns against Usman in UFC Oklahoma City headliner

The long-rumored Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman bout is official, set for five rounds at middleweight atop UFC Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center on July 18. It's Du Plessis' first fight since losing the title in a one-sided decision to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last August, and a move up in weight for the former welterweight champ Usman, who hasn't fought since beating Joaquin Buckley in June 2025. The card also features Jared Cannonier vs. Christian Leroy Duncan and Kevin Holland vs. Jacobe Smith.

Why it matters: A win puts either veteran back into the middleweight title conversation under champion Chimaev, while a loss could push a 39-year-old Usman toward retirement.

UFC's AI-driven rankings debut Monday alongside the media panel

The UFC will roll out a new, data-driven rankings system on Monday, evaluating measurable factors like quality of opposition, activity, and consistency rather than media-panel opinion. Dana White confirmed the traditional media rankings won't be scrapped — both will co-exist — while reiterating that 'the fans are the sanctioning body.' White also touted the promotion's position in the media landscape, citing 17 million views for the White House card and the $1.1 billion-per-year Paramount+ deal.

Why it matters: Rankings shape title shots and matchmaking, and handing that to an algorithm is a notable structural shift for a promotion that has long leaned on subjective panels.

$100M asking price stalls Wittman's eye-poke glove fix

Trevor Wittman revealed the UFC reopened talks about licensing his curved ONX glove, designed to keep a fighter's hand in a fist and cut down on eye pokes. Dana White confirmed the renewed conversation but said a deal collapsed because Wittman's team wanted roughly $100 million, calling the figure impossible to recoup. Justin Gaethje separately noted the gloves used at the White House felt different — thicker and softer — than standard UFC gloves.

Why it matters: Eye pokes remain an unsolved safety problem — Tom Aspinall's October title fight was waved off after a double poke — and the standoff leaves the UFC's flawed current glove in place.

Makhachev: a UFC move would cost Usman Nurmagomedov half his purse

Islam Makhachev says teammate and PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov (20-1) would likely earn roughly half his current pay if he signs with the UFC once his contract expires. Nurmagomedov defends his title against Archie Colgan at PFL New York on July 31, after which he hits free agency. Makhachev believes the UFC offers the tougher competition Nurmagomedov needs but doubts the promotion will match PFL money, suggesting his teammate could fight out another PFL deal first.

Why it matters: One of the best lightweights outside the UFC is approaching free agency, and the pay gap frames a recurring tension over whether elite non-UFC champions can be lured across.

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