Former UFC flyweight title challenger, Kyoji Horiguchi is reportedly near inking a deal to make a surprising Octagon return this 12 months — amid latest hyperlinks to a surprising flyweight title problem in opposition to present teammate, the incumbent, Alexandre Pantoja.
Horiguchi, the present Rizin FF flyweight champion and a former bantamweight titleholder with the Japanese promotion, in addition to Bellator MMA — departed the UFC again in 2016.
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And leaving the Dana White-led promotion off the again of a unanimous choice win over flyweight veteran, fellow ex-title chaser, Ali Bagautinov, Horiguchi himself challenged for spoils again in 2015.
Headlining UFC 186 in Montreal, Kyoji Horiguchi suffered the most recent end within the historical past of the promotion, with defending champion, Demetrious Johnson submitting him with a single second left within the remaining spherical through armbar in ‘The Nice White North.
Kyoji Horiguchi near signing deal to make UFC return
And amid hyperlinks to a surprising return to the Octagon in years passed by, Horiguchi is reportedly all however signed to return to the UFC — in line with Uncrowned reporter, Ariel Helwani.
“I am hearing, via multiple sources, that the UFC is very close to welcoming back former UFC title contender, the great and very popular, the pride of Japan, Kyoji Horiguchi,” Helwani tweeted. “If you recall, he left the UFC in 2017. He was on a three-fight winning streak. He has had a great run over in RIZIN, and in the last 8 years, he has fought 20 times.”
Linked with a title cost in opposition to present American High Crew stablemate, Pantoja — Horiguchi was welcomed as a title challenger by the present gold holder, who insisted he had what it takes to topple the Brazilian fan-favorite.
“We [me and Alexandre Pantoja] kind of talk about it in the gym,” Horiguchi mentioned. “We joke around and I tell them that I can beat you up anytime, I’ll beat you up and stuff like that. You know, we kind of joke around. But you know, if it’s a title fight, I think the gym would have to accept it. It is what it is and it’s what we do. If it happens, I think we could make it happen.”
