Kyoji Horiguchi’s mind is only on one thing after delivering a winning performance against Amir Albazi in the UFC Fight Night 266 co-main event.
With two wins under his belt since re-signing with the company in 2025, Horiguchi (36-5 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is fully devoted to becoming the first Japanese UFC champion, and hopes his unanimous decision victory over Albazi (17-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on Saturday at Meta APEX in Las Vegas was enough to push him one step closer.
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“Not my best performance – I want to finish him,” Horiguchi told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC Fight Night 266. “Of course I want to get the belt soon. I will keep training, go back to Florida and I’m just focused on the belt.”
Horiguchi, 35, said he broke his hand in the first round against Albazi but was able to keep throwing and gut his way to the final bell.
The extent of the injury and timeline for recovery will determine when he will compete next, but Horiguchi is hungry for the 125-pound strap.
The division is as interesting as it’s ever been, too, with Alexandre Pantoja (30-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) seeing his long reign come to an end at UFC 323 in December when he suffered an in-fight injury in the opening seconds against Joshua Van (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who was crowned champion.
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Pantoja is owed an immediate rematch for the belt, but it remains to be seen if Van will compete before that happens. Horiguchi said he will be ready for any scenario, however, he still sees Pantoja as the man to beat – title or not.
“I want the belt,” Horiguchi said. “If the champion is Pantoja, yes, Pantoja. If it’s the other guy, yes the other guy. … I think he’s the true champion. It was an accident and I think he’s a true champ.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Kyoji Horiguchi has one goal after UFC Vegas 113: ‘I want the belt’
