“Guch” is again! (knock on wooden).
Former Bellator Bantamweight Champion and present RIZIN Flyweight Champion Kyoji Horiguchi may be very shut to creating a return to Final Combating Championship (UFC) after seven years away, in line with Ariel Helwani.
Some extra breaking information
I’m listening to, by way of a number of sources, that the UFC may be very near welcoming again former UFC title contender, the good and very fashionable, the delight of Japan, Kyoji Horiguchi.
Should 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 stunned many, given his three-fight successful streak and 7-1 Octagon document, along with his sole loss coming towards Demetrious Johnson in a Flyweight title combat. That bout ended with probably the most dramatic (and newest) finishes in UFC historical past (watch highlights).
Publish-UFC, Horiguchi thrived in Bellator and RIZIN, capturing titles in each promotions and amassing a 16-3-1 document 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, nonetheless, 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.
