Kyoji Horiguchi (7-1 ufc) what gives?

[BLIND]

I was doing some casual fight finder perusing and came across his record. He won 4 in a row then lost to DJ, which is fine. And then he went on to win abt 3 more in the UFC before leaving. I assume he just wanted more money or to fight in Japan.

What are your thoughts on him as a fighter? Seems like quite the shame that he didn't stick around the UFC and become a mainstay. Exciting fighter imo

 

[ThatGuy7698]

 

[Squintz]

He’s huge.... in Japan.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

RIZIN shelling out them big bucks so they can pad their roster with legit Japanese talent.

 

[DarkneT]

Japanese? Yep
125? Yep
Hand a title fight and got handled? Yep

Don't let the door hit you on the way out kid

 

[Sakuraba7]

What happened to Hiromasa? The guy made it to the Finals of TUF, had the best performance on the entire show that season.

And we haven't seen him fight in the UFC even once, they decided they rather sign a can who got cut from the UFC the first time around.

 

[Danespina]

He's currently in a 2 night tournament and just KO'd a undefeated featherweight (someone 2 divisions bigger) who just KO'd Tatsuya Kawajiri (a ranked UFC featherweight).

 

[5Rounder]

What happened to Hiromasa? The guy made it to the Finals of TUF, had the best performance on the entire show that season.

And we haven't seen him fight in the UFC even once, they decided they rather sign a can who got cut from the UFC the first time around.

Eliott beat Hiromasa though, dummy.

 

[BLIND]

He currently in a tournament and he just KO'd a undefeated featherweight who just KO'd Kawajiri.

Damn, badass. I was somehow under the impression that he had just been inactive due to injury or something. I wish him luck. It' just that DJ needs as many legitimate challengers as possible. Guys like Horiguchi are more valuable than the Ray Borgs of the ufc.

 

[Just Creed]

He became a bit of a decisonator and I think the ufc didn't like that, offered him a shitty contract and he chose somewhere else. Shame really

 

[Reach4theSky]

Eliott beat Hiromasa though, dummy.

 

[KoreanZawmbie]

he was legit as they came.

 

[Th3Sav4ge]

Japanese? Yep
125? Yep
Hand a title fight and got handled? Yep

Don't let the door hit you on the way out kid

gucci said he didnt want the title fight. he said he wasnt ready. but he couldnt turn it down because it was a title shot

 

[Organic Damage]

I think he was a victim of the UFC giving up on the asian market to an extent.

Obviously he was a quality FLW but they probably didn't see the point in matching what competitors would pay him.

 

[Danespina]

Honestly, anyone who runs into Horiguchi's fights ends up asking the same question.

He is probably the best Japanese fighter the UFC's ever had. He's extremely entertaining, fast like a bullet, has KO power, and developed into a threat for anyone at flyweight, bantamweight, and now apparently featherweight. He's the new Gomi/Kid Yamamoto. UFC was insane to let him go.

 

[kingghidrah]

Japanese? Yep
125? Yep
Hand a title fight and got handled? Yep

Don't let the door hit you on the way out kid

You can leave out the "Japanese" part...with your logic, every single fighter at 125 would be shown the door after losing to MM.

 

[VVarhead]

UFC doesn't give a shit about good Asian/European fighters. Not surprised they let him go.

Nothing new, really.

 

[French Canadian]

He's currently in a 2 night tournament and just KO'd a undefeated featherweight (someone 2 divisions bigger) who just KO'd Tatsuya Kawajiri (a ranked UFC featherweight).

And people say MM just fights cans.

 

[Meathead Jock]

The UFC isnt the only show in town and Rizen had good reason to buy him away.

 

[007]

He liked the Giant Cup of Noodle lady but the real question is why UFC doesn't make a stronger push in the Japan market