Kyoji Horiguchi Wants Active 2023, Willing to Remain at Flyweight

As a former Rizin athlete, Kyoji Horiguchi was a little bit conflicted following Bellator’s 5-0 head-to-head triumph against the Japanese promotion on New Year’s Eve.

“I don’t know if I should be enjoying this as much as I am,” he said at the Rizin 40 post-fight press conference.

The former Rizin bantamweight champion represented Bellator over the weekend, earning a unanimous decision triumph over Hiromasa Ougikubo in a flyweight clash. Horiguchi improved to 3-0 in his career against Ougikubo with his latest victory.

“From the first and second matches, I knew what he was looking for, so it was easier for me to put up a game plan to try to fight him,” Horiguchi said.

“I thought Ougikubo was really tough. Even though I gave him a clean hit a couple of times, his eyes weren’t dying. It was a very tough fight.”

Horiguchi competed three times in 2022, winning his last two fights after dropping a unanimous decision to Patrick Mix in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix in April. He hopes to have a similarly active campaign in 2023.

“I always try to fight constantly,” he said. “If I can get in three to four fights a year, that’d be great. Whether it’s in Japan or America, I’d like to get those numbers in.”

It was Horiguchi’s first time competing at flyweight since his last UFC appearance in November 2016. The American Top Team product did well at 125 pounds in the Octagon, winning six of seven bouts, with his only defeat coming in a title bout against Demetrious Johnson.

“There isn’t much difference,” Horiguchi said of the two weight classes. “Maybe the size difference.”

With that said, Horiguchi is willing to continue to compete at flyweight going forward.

“I felt very good, so whether it’s in Japan or overseas internationally, I’d like to mix things up in the flyweight division,” he said.