Last night at the ABHA Arena, Qatar’s promotional debut delivered one of the strongest Fight Night events of the year. From start to finish, the card clicked smoothly, with several names making their mark. Still, nothing drew more attention than the return of Japanese MMA icon Kyoji Horiguchi. A standout in both the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, Horiguchi stepped back into the UFC nearly nine years after his last appearance.

Meanwhile, across the cage stood Team Khabib’s popular contender, Tagir Ulanbekov. Entering as the underdog, Horiguchi quickly reminded fans why his name still carries weight. He folded the Russian with a vicious body kick early, poured on punches, and then secured a choke that put Ulanbekov out cold, showing once again why he is one of Japan’s finest technicians. Now, after the event, Kyoji Horiguchi gave his two cents on his Dagestani counterpart’s wrestling.

UFC Qatar: Kyoji Horiguchi weighs in on Islam Makhachev teammate’s wrestling skills

Dagestani fighters dominate with their wrestling and have made a name for themselves in the UFC and across MMA. In fact, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team shine brighter than most, building an unmatched wrestling legacy. Islam Makhachev demonstrated this dominance last week when he won the lightweight belt, defeating Jack Della Maddalena to become a two-division champion.

Similarly, fans expected Tagir Ulanbekov to follow a similar game plan as he aimed to extend his winning streak. However, Kyoji Horiguchi executed a different strategy. After the event, Horiguchi sat down for a quick interview on his YouTube channel and shared his perspective on the performance he expected from Ulanbekov. Horiguchi revealed, “I expected him to come harder with his grappling, but he didn’t at all. I was surprised.”

When asked, “Why do you think that was?” Kyoji Horiguchi replied, “My distance. I kept it far and made it uncomfortable for him to enter. He’s also good at striking, so maybe he decided to strike with me.”

Even though he entered the bout as the underdog and stood shorter at 5’4″ compared to Ulanbekov’s 5’7″, the Japanese star defied the odds and turned the fight on its head. Speaking about the size difference, Horiguchi pointed out, “Size doesn’t matter much to me. I move a lot and bounce around, so it doesn’t affect me.”

Now 35 years old, Kyoji Horiguchi is determined to make his second UFC run a success, with retirement only a few years away. Looking ahead, he has set his sights on his teammate from a top American team and the reigning UFC flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja. Despite being teammates, the former RIZIN champion boldly declared in his post-fight octagon interview, “I will beat your ass.” In the same interview, he spoke further about his title aspirations.

Horiguchi pushes toward flyweight championship

Kyoji Horiguchi’s first run in the UFC was one of the most impressive in recent history, compiling a 7-1 record. During that run, he won seven fights but ultimately fell short of a title shot against Demetrious Johnson after three more bouts in 2016. However, after leaving Dana White and Co., Horiguchi cemented his reputation as a feared MMA star. Competing under the Japanese promotion RIZIN, he established himself as one of the world’s top fighters and claimed the title.

Now, after competing in other promotions, Horiguchi aims to win the UFC flyweight belt, which UFC 323 will put on the line next month, with Pantoja scheduled to face Joshua Van on December 6. In his latest YouTube interview, the Japanese star addressed calling out his teammate Alexandre Pantoja, admitting that he doesn’t remember exactly what he said in the heat of the moment. When asked, Horiguchi said, “Did I? I forgot what I said. But yeah, if you’re fighting, you’re fighting to become champion. I just stated that I want to challenge for the belt.“

There is no bad blood between Kyoji Horiguchi and Alexandre Pantoja, who has previously faced him in the cage. Pantoja also confirmed in the U-NEXT documentary, “Until Kyoji comes, I’ll keep defending the belt. I’m ready to fight him.”

So, what are your thoughts on a potential matchup between Kyoji Horiguchi and Alexandre Pantoja? Who do you think would come out on top if they clashed inside the Octagon? Drop your opinion below.