Talented flyweight contender Kyoji Horiguchi has left the UFC after completing his current contract and has now signed for Japanese promotion Rizin instead.
Horiguchi had originally hoped to sign a new deal to remain in the Octagon, but the offer he was made was considered to be unacceptably low and so he opted to became a free agent last week and has quickly found himself a new home to continue his fighting career.
This is a big blow for the UFC’s 125lb division as the 26 year-old had been a key player in the upper reaches of the weight class, having registered a 7-1 run in the Octagon, with his only loss coming by way of a fifth round submission against dominant champion Demetrious Johnson in April of 2015.
Since then he’s racked up a trio of wins and was holding down the No.3 spot on the UFC’s official flyweight rankings.
It’s believed that Horiguchi will now go up against Yuki Motoya, a fighter with an 18-4 record, in his Rizin debut on April 16th in Japan.
