Kape vs Horiguchi Is Official

A Sigh of Relief for the Main Event

The most important moment of any weigh-in day is when the main event fighters make their contracted weight, and fans of the flyweight division can breathe easy. The highly anticipated clash between Manel "Star boy" Kape and Kyoji "The Karate Kid" Horiguchi is officially on for UFC Vegas 119. Horiguchi was first, stepping on the scale looking focused and professional, hitting the championship mark of 125 pounds on the dot. The pressure then shifted to his opponent, Kape, who used every bit of the one-pound allowance for non-title fights. The announcer called it out: "126 for Kape!" While some might see it as a difficult weight cut, the mission was accomplished. The most crucial news of the day was confirmed: "Our main event is a go."

Prelim Problems: A Costly Morning for Borhas

While the headliners handled their business, the same couldn't be said for one of the fighters on the preliminary card. In the biggest shock of the morning, flyweight Kevin "El Gallo Negro" Borhas had a disastrous trip to the scale for his featured prelim bout. Borhas weighed in at 129 pounds, a full three pounds over the 126-pound flyweight limit. A miss of this magnitude is significant and goes beyond a simple last-minute hydration issue. The gaffe puts his fight in jeopardy and, at minimum, guarantees he will forfeit a substantial portion of his fight purse to his opponent. It was the only major blemish on an otherwise professional morning for the card's athletes.

The Full Card Takes Shape

Elsewhere on the card, the co-main event was also made official. Veteran Ewan Cutelaba hit the scales at 205.5 pounds for his light heavyweight contest against the undefeated "Navajo" Sterling, who came in at a solid 205 pounds. The main card will also feature a guaranteed featherweight barnburner, as Sacramento's own Andre "Touchy" Fili enjoys a home game, weighing in at 145.5 pounds for his bout. Veterans and newcomers alike successfully made weight, including Crod Christian Rodriguez (145.5), Melik "The Gun" Bagdasarian (145.5), and a pair of debutants in Murtazali Magomedov (146) and Otari Tanzalovi (145), who are now officially set to make their first walk to the UFC octagon. With the scales put away, all that's left is for the fighters to rehydrate, refuel, and get ready for war on Saturday night.