Kyoji Horiguchi was the primary man to win titles in two main MMA promotions concurrently, holding the bantamweight belt in Bellator and RIZIN, however quite a bit has modified since.
A former flyweight contender within the UFC, Horiguchi now holds the 125-pound title in RIZIN and plans on displaying dominance in Asia to turn out to be the world’s greatest flyweight earlier than he considers shifting weight lessons once more.
Unbeaten in practically 10 years as a flyweight, he returns to the ring on Dec. 31 to face former EFC two-division champion Nkazimulo Zulu at RIZIN Decade in Saitama, Japan.
“I imagine that flyweight is my weight class, and I need to concentrate on that,” Horiguchi instructed MMA Preventing via a translator. “My objective is to turn out to be one of the best on the planet at flyweight. I’ve form of shifted in direction of flyweight and specializing in there as a substitute of going backwards and forwards between two divisions.
“And as for bantamweight, as soon as I obtain my objective at flyweight, then I can most likely consider shifting up. However proper now, I’m simply centered on turning into one of the best at flyweight.”
Zulu claimed the EFC bantamweight title in 2023 and returned to flyweight to defend his title this previous March earlier than leaving the African promotion to hitch RIZIN. In his debut struggle in Japan, Zulu stopped Jo Arai within the opening spherical.
“On this business, in case you’re powerful and you probably have the abilities, I believe anyone deserves the title shot,” Horiguchi stated. “And for me, so long as it’s beneath the flyweight division, I’m at all times able to tackle anyone.”
“So far as my opponent himself, he’s very athletic, and he’s very explosive, and I believe he’s fighter,” he added. “My plan is to face him wherever the struggle takes me, both on the placing or on the bottom. I’m going to struggle in MMA, and that’s a plan.”
Horiguchi revealed that Zulu was not his unique opponent, although, however was given the chance after Alibek Gadzhammatov was now not out there.
“I believe RIZIN is within the means of gathering respectable flyweight fighters from throughout the globe, and I believe they’re engaged on it,” Horiguchi stated. “Earlier than this struggle with Zulu was confirmed, they supplied me Gadzhammatov, who simply fought in November. I believe he’s a extremely good fighter. He was a troublesome fighter, and I stated OK to him. My plan was to struggle him, however apparently, one thing occurred, possibly an harm or whatnot, and he wasn’t capable of struggle. However I already accepted the struggle towards him. He’s prospect, fighter.”
The Japanese star sees “different fighters that look fairly respectable” within the RIZIN roster at flyweight however nonetheless lack “publicity” to justify a championship conflict. Additionally, with former Courageous CF champion Jose Torres allowed to compete at RIZIN Decade towards Makoto Shinryu, a door could possibly be open for a future conflict with Courageous’s Muhammad Mokaev, who simply returned to the Bahrain-based firm after a 7-0 run within the UFC.
“That sounds good,” Horiguchi stated. “There’s quite a bit that I can’t actually speak, however yeah, if it occurs, it occurs.”
