1. Kyoji Horiguchi is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
50 Facts About Kyoji Horiguchi
1. 2.
Kyoji Horiguchi most recently competed in Rizin FF in the Flyweight division, where he was a former RIZIN Flyweight Champion and former RIZIN Bantamweight Championship.
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Kyoji Horiguchi graduated from Sakushin Gakuin High School in Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan.
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Kyoji Horiguchi began training in karate at the age of five and was talented, as he soon began competing in full-contact competitions and went on to become a regional champion.
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At the age of 16, Kyoji Horiguchi viewed a PRIDE Fighting Championships event and became drawn to mixed martial arts.
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Kyoji Horiguchi began training in the sport at Norifumi Yamamoto's Krazy Bee Gym after graduating high school when he was 18 years old.
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Kyoji Horiguchi said seeing Yamamoto knockout bigger men was what drew him to the fighter.
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Kyoji Horiguchi made his professional MMA debut in Shooto in 2010, winning a decision over Ranki Kawana.
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Kyoji Horiguchi took on the former Shooto Bantamweight Champion, Masakatsu Ueda on January 8,2012.
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Kyoji Horiguchi captured the Shooto Bantamweight Championship on March 16,2013, when he defeated Hiromasa Ougikubo submitting him in the second round by rear-naked choke.
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Kyoji Horiguchi rallied early in the fifth round, landing a barrage of punches on Ishiwatari to force the stoppage and defend his title.
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Kyoji Horiguchi made his promotional debut against Dustin Pague on October 19,2013, at UFC 166.
13.
Kyoji Horiguchi was victorious in his debut, winning the fight via TKO in the second round.
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Kyoji Horiguchi was expected to face Chris Cariaso in a Flyweight bout on February 1,2014, at UFC 169.
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However, Kyoji Horiguchi pulled out of the bout citing injury and was replaced by WEC veteran Danny Martinez.
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Kyoji Horiguchi faced Darrell Montague on May 10,2014, at UFC Fight Night 40.
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Kyoji Horiguchi won the fight via TKO in the first round.
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Kyoji Horiguchi faced Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson on April 25,2015, in the main event at UFC 186.
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Kyoji Horiguchi faced Chico Camus at UFC Fight Night 75 on September 27,2015.
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Kyoji Horiguchi next faced Neil Seery on May 8,2016, at UFC Fight Night 87.
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Kyoji Horiguchi was expected to face Ali Bagautinov on October 15,2016, at UFC Fight Night 97.
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In joining RIZIN, Kyoji Horiguchi says he felt more at home and enjoyed the shows RIZIN put on built around him.
23.
Kyoji Horiguchi won the fight via knockout in the first round.
24.
Kyoji Horiguchi competed in the rest of the Bantamweight Grand Prix in December 2017, fighting three times over two days.
25.
Kyoji Horiguchi won the fight via TKO in the first round.
26.
Kyoji Horiguchi faced Manel Kape in the semi-finals and won via arm-triangle choke submission in the third round.
27.
Kyoji Horiguchi faced fellow UFC veteran Ian McCall in the main event at Rizin 10 on May 6,2018.
28.
Kyoji Horiguchi defeated McCall just 9 seconds into the first round via KO.
29.
On September 30,2018, Kyoji Horiguchi fought Japanese Kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa at Rizin 13 under Rizin Kickboxing rules, and lost by unanimous decision.
30.
Kyoji Horiguchi faced the reigning Bellator Bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell for the vacant Rizin Bantamweight Championship at Rizin 14 on December 31,2018.
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Kyoji Horiguchi won the fight by submission via a guillotine choke.
32.
Kyoji Horiguchi next faced Ben Nguyen in a 132 pound catchweight bout on April 21,2019, at Rizin 15.
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Kyoji Horiguchi won the fight via TKO in the first round.
34.
Kyoji Horiguchi headlined Rizin 18 on August 18,2019, against Kai Asakura in a non-title bout.
35.
Kyoji Horiguchi lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round.
36.
Kyoji Horiguchi was expected to defend his Rizin FF Bantamweight Championship title against Kai Asakura in a rematch at Rizin 20 on December 31,2019.
37.
However, due to the injury suffered in October 2019, Kyoji Horiguchi vacated his Bellator Bantamweight championship in late November 2019.
38.
Kyoji Horiguchi said he is feeling almost completely healed leading into the fight.
39.
In September 2021, Kyoji Horiguchi was announced to be a Bellator contracted fighter, however due to longstanding relationship between Bellator and Rizin, Kyoji Horiguchi will remain the Rizin Bantamweight Champion, and the plan, once COVID travel restrictions ease, is for him to still fight in Japan on occasion.
40.
Kyoji Horiguchi competed for the Bellator Bantamweight World Championship against champion Sergio Pettis on December 3,2021, at Bellator 272.
41.
Kyoji Horiguchi faced Yuto Hokamura at Rizin 38 on September 25,2022.
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Kyoji Horiguchi was scheduled to face Ray Borg on April 22,2023, at Bellator 295.
43.
Kyoji Horiguchi next competed for the inaugural Bellator Flyweight World Championship at Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 on July 30,2023, in Saitama, Japan where he faced Makoto "Shinryu" Takahashi.
44.
The bout was declared a no contest after Kyoji Horiguchi accidentally poked Takahashi in the eye which prevented him from continuing.
45.
Kyoji Horiguchi rematched Makoto Takahashi at Rizin 45, on December 31,2023, this time for the inaugural Rizin Flyweight World Championship, and won the bout via rear-naked choke in the second round.
46.
Kyoji Horiguchi faced Sergio Pettis in a rematch at Bantamweight on June 9,2024 at RIZIN 47.
47.
Kyoji Horiguchi made his first defense of the Rizin Flyweight World Championship against Nkazimulo Zulu on December 31,2024, at Rizin 49.
48.
On March 30,2025, Kyoji Horiguchi announced that he had vacated the Rizin Flyweight World Championship and that he would be returning to the UFC.
49.
On March 28,2025, it was reported that Kyoji Horiguchi had re-signed with the UFC.
50.
Kyoji Horiguchi was scheduled to have his first bout in the UFC since November 2016 against Tagir Ulanbekov on June 21,2025 at UFC on ABC 8.