“Guch” is again! (knock on wooden).
Former Bellator Bantamweight Champion and present RIZIN Flyweight Champion Kyoji Horiguchi could be very shut to creating a return to Final Combating Championship (UFC) after seven years away, based on Ariel Helwani.
Some extra breaking information
I’m listening to, by way of a number of sources, that the UFC could be very near welcoming again former UFC title contender, the nice and highly regarded, the satisfaction of Japan, Kyoji Horiguchi.
In the event you recall, he left the UFC in 2017. He was on a three-fight successful… pic.twitter.com/AigHOlfaxO
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 20, 2025
Horiguchi (34-5) parted methods with the UFC in early 2017 after opting to not renew his contract. His departure shocked many, given his three-fight successful streak and 7-1 Octagon file, along with his sole loss coming in opposition to Demetrious Johnson in a Flyweight title battle. That bout ended with some of the dramatic (and newest) finishes in UFC historical past (watch highlights).
Put up-UFC, Horiguchi thrived in Bellator and RIZIN, capturing titles in each promotions and amassing a 16-3-1 file exterior the UFC.
In 2024, the 34-year-old expressed curiosity in a UFC return, a sentiment clearly echoed by Dana White and the UFC brass. With the Flyweight division in want of a reputable challenger for champion Alexandre Pantoja, Horiguchi could possibly be the reply.
First, nevertheless, he’s slated to face No. 11-ranked Tagir Ulanbekov, per Helwani, in a bout eyed for UFC Azerbaijan.
Past a possible showdown with Pantoja, Horiguchi additionally has unfinished enterprise with Manel Kape and Kai Asakura, setting the stage for compelling trilogies.
