Media Kyoji Horiguchi intends on returning to UFC, already informed Rizin CEO, only obstacle is PFL contract status

[Hellowhosthat]

I truly believe he is one of the greatest flyweights of all time. (Skill wise, maybe not accomplishments wise.) Just below the tier of Demetrious and Cejudo.

I don't know how many flyweights could defeat Darrion Caldwell in the cage like Gooch did.

Probably Moreno and Figgy because they have good guillotines and Caldwell loves getting guillotined.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Anyway I really hope he can get back because he's a top 5 flyweight in the world at the absolute worst and I think he has a solid shot at finally becoming the first Japanese title holder.

 

[Minnja]

It'd be awesome to see him back. He needs to come back soon though because time is not on his side. He's turning 34 this year and has a lot of fight mileage at this point and has been KO'd twice. I think he matches up really well with the current top 5 so it'd be a good time for him to get back before the division starts seeing some turnover with younger contenders.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

feel like he should just stay as king of Rizin. while he is still good, he's taken some losses since his time away, some bad ones too KO-wise. his last fight he looked good, but shinryus takedowns/wrestling were a lot. there were a couple of instances of him turning away too, slowly, where i feel like a younger faster fighter would have easily capitalized. unless the gooch is on the no USADA protocol, he should just stay at Rizin. IMO. honorable for him to want to test it again though in the UFC. we'll see what those morons at UFC do.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

feel like he should just stay as king of Rizin. while he is still good, he's taken some losses since his time away, some bad ones too KO-wise. his last fight he looked good, but shinryus takedowns/wrestling were a lot. there were a couple of instances of him turning away too, slowly, where i feel like a younger faster fighter would have easily capitalized. unless the gooch is on the no USADA protocol, he should just stay at Rizin. IMO. honorable for him to want to test it again though in the UFC. we'll see what those morons at UFC do.

Shinryu is the real deal, that win will age very well.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

i rather see him go to OneFC and rematch Mighty Mouse

 

[Hellowhosthat]

i rather see him go to OneFC and rematch Mighty Mouse

ONE aren't signing expensive fighters at the moment really

 

[HHJ]

I just think he'll have more success over in Rizin. He could absolutely dominate over there for a few years yet, while I don't think he'd become champ in the UFC.

But hey, if he wants to take another crack at the UFC, then I'll happily watch.

It's like Jiri deciding not to go to UFC at first from Rizin,but then he was ready and won the title.

Even if he doesnt win,he wants to test himself against the best. Thats what I want to see him do.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

Shinryu is the real deal, that win will age very well.

shinryu, i believe it. he dominated the wrestling, put the pace on him, and took him down repeatedly. it was a good fight.

 

[HuskySamoan]

He's far better now than he was when he was in the UFC, like miles better.

People forget Kyoji was 24 when he fought Mighty Mouse and when the UFC originally offered him the title fight he and his team turned it down, said they felt he'd be ready in 18 months time, wanted more time to grow and develop. The UFC told him you don't turn down title fights and if he doesn't take it, he will never get another shot.

When he left the UFC, the UFC was getting rid of their Flyweights, I'm not sure how deliberate the cut was or if Goochi wanted to leave exactly.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

People forget Kyoji was 24 when he fought Mighty Mouse and when the UFC originally offered him the title fight he and his team turned it down, said they felt he'd be ready in 18 months time, wanted more time to grow and develop. The UFC told him you don't turn down title fights and if he doesn't take it, he will never get another shot.

When he left the UFC, the UFC was getting rid of their Flyweights, I'm not sure how deliberate the cut was or if Goochi wanted to leave exactly.

He left a little before the big cull. From what I remember him saying at the time he wanted to be the main star in RIZIN rather than just another guy in the UFC.

 

[xhaydenx]

Even if he doesnt win,he wants to test himself against the best. Thats what I want to see him do.

Like I said, I'm all for watching it. I don't think he'll have the same sort of success as he did in Rizin, but I think he'd still be very competitive with everyone he faces

Oddly enough, I feel like Pantoja would struggle with him.

 

[CatchtheseHands]

Would be dope to see Gooch back in the UFC. However I do think he will be quite undersized there unfortunately.

 

[Yosuke]

I feel like Gooch was just in the UFC at the right time. There was only a few good FLWs back then and the rest were shit. He was way better than the shit ones but a fair bit below the very top guys.

He only ever beat guys that wouldn't even make the roster in UFC's current FLW landscape. He never even fought guys like Dodson, Joe B, and Mccall back when he was more in his prime. I mean, Gooch got a title shot against DJ off a win over Gaudinot . . .

I think he should just stay in Rizin. There's too many guys in the UFC right now at FLW that would take him out.

Why write so much if you have no clue. How many Guchi fights have you watched? He would still be very relevant and fight for the title within 2-3 fights.

 

[Prologue]

PFL announces Francis Ngannou vs Kyoji Horiguchi

We need some of that Saudi money to go to Fight Circus to make this happen.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Awesome. He would have been champ at one point if he had stayed.

He's been fighting at 135 for years and only one guy really blew him out (Mix). Hope he doesn't look ancient when he debuts.

 

[Momentosis]

He left a little before the big cull. From what I remember him saying at the time he wanted to be the main star in RIZIN rather than just another guy in the UFC.

He left UFC because his karate master(rip) was dying and he wanted to fight closer to him.

 

[xhaydenx]

Why write so much if you have no clue. How many Guchi fights have you watched? He would still be very relevant and fight for the title within 2-3 fights.

Why write a reply if you're just gonna be an obnoxious fuckwit?

 

[Danespina]

One of my favorite fighters.
He's done all he can in Rizin.
Would love to see him make a UFC return.

 

[Snoowpy]

I liked to see him fight a lot. But he is pretty old now. A bit too old. Man time flies.