Big, big news out of RIZIN 50 on Sunday, as former UFC title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi has vacated his flyweight title, in order to rejoin the American promotion.
News of Horiguchi’s return will no doubt spark rumors of a title fight against UFC 125lb champ Alexandre Pantoja (despite the pair being teammates), as well it should. The Japanese star has long been the best flyweight outside the UFC, and after leaving the company off three straight wins in late 2016, arrived in RIZIN the following year and immediately made an impact.
Horiguchi would go on to win bantamweight championships in both RIZIN and Bellator MMA, holding both simultaneously for a time. While injury forced him to vacate both belts, he would win back the RIZIN 135lb crown, defeating Kai Asakura (who himself debut in the UFC late last year to an immediate title shot).
The American Top Team fighter would later vacate his RIZIN bantamweight title a second time, make a failed bid to reclaim Bellator gold, then drop back down to flyweight, becoming RIZIN’s inaugural 125lb champion. He’s defended his latest title once, while sitting on a five-fight win streak (with a No Contest in the mix due to an accidental eye poke).
With Kyoji Horiguchi vacating his flyweight title, RIZIN Fighting Federation has announced a flyweight grand prix to crown a new champion. Participants are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Now 34, Horiguchi will not want to waste any time embarking on a title run. The former Shooto, Bellator, and RIZIN champion started his first stint with the UFC in 2013, winning his first four fights inside the octagon. That landed him in a title fight with then-champ and flyweight great Demetrious Johnson at UFC 186; “Mighty Mouse” put the Japanese challenger away with an arm-bar.
Three more UFC wins followed for Horiguchi before he jumped ship to RIZIN, and later Bellator. He holds wins over current UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape, popular retired flyweight “Uncle Creepy” Ian McCall, recent UFC title challenger Kai Asakura, and former UFC star/Bellator champ Sergio Pettis.
