The final UFC pay-per-view event of 2024 delivered no shortage of talking points regarding future title contention just over a week ago, but there was still time for one more contender to stake his claim to flyweight gold on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
The action shifted from the electric atmosphere of T-Mobile Arena to the relative isolation of the UFC Apex, where Manel Kape delivered a timely reminder that he remains one of the most dangerous fighters in the 125-pound division.
Elsewhere on the card, Kevin Vallejos capped off an impressive 2025 and continued to look every bit like a potential future champion, while a former Bellator titleholder announced his arrival in the promotion in emphatic fashion.
Let’s take a look at three fights to make following UFC Vegas 112 on Saturday night.
Manel Kape
Just one week after the flyweight title changed hands under unfortunate and anticlimactic circumstances, Manel Kape (22-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) rose to the occasion in Saturday’s main event, delivering a stunning knockout victory over former title challenger Brandon Royval and thrusting his name firmly into the growing list of potential first challengers to Joshua Van’s championship.
“Starboy” has now won eight of his last nine bouts at flyweight, with the lone setback in that stretch coming via a controversial split-decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev. Riding a three-fight stoppage streak, the Angolan continues to demonstrate a level of power rarely seen in the division and has all but cemented himself as a legitimate title contender.
With the UFC recently announcing that Kyogi Horiguchi (35-5 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is scheduled to face Amir Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in February, there are currently no ranked contenders positioned above Kape who are immediately available. If the promotion moves forward with the rumored plans to match Joshua Van against Tatsuro Taira next, Kape could be a logical option to face the winner of the Horiguchi–Albazi matchup.
Kape previously suffered a loss to Horiguchi during his time competing under the RIZIN banner, and if he is overlooked for an immediate title shot, the opportunity to avenge that defeat would likely be an appealing next step.
Kevin Vallejos
Since suffering a loss to Jean Silva on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, Kevin Vallejos (17-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has gone from strength to strength. The Argentine prospect capped off a sensational debut year on the UFC roster with his third straight victory in Saturday’s co-main event, knocking out the seasoned Giga Chikadze in spectacular fashion.
“El Chino” could very well replace Chikadze at No. 15 when the updated UFC featherweight rankings are released later this week, a development that would open the door to several high-profile opportunities for the 24-year-old as the new year approaches.
David Onama (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who currently sits one spot above Chikadze in the rankings, is coming off a knockout loss to Steve Garcia and could emerge as the next potential opponent in Vallejos’ path.
Yaroslav Amosov
2025 hasn’t been kind to former Bellator standouts transitioning to the UFC. Despite being hyped as potential title contenders, fighters like Patchy Mix, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, and Aaron Pico have so far failed to make a significant impact on the sport’s biggest stage.
Yaroslav Amosov (29-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) could be the exception. The Ukrainian needed little more than three minutes to dispatch veteran Neil Magny on Saturday’s undercard, immediately marking himself as an exciting new presence in an already stacked welterweight division.
For any contender at 170 pounds, a win over Magny typically leads to a bout against a ranked opponent, and 13th-ranked Geoff Neal (16-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC) seems like the logical next step for Amosov as he navigates his path toward the title picture.
