Kyoji Horiguchi is already considered by many as the number two flyweight in the world. As he took a better deal and continued his career outside the UFC, he challenged himself and plied his trade in a higher division.
He joined the Rizin bantamweight grand prix, and despite being undersized, he won 4 bouts, all by stoppage. This included three bouts in two nights, with Horiguchi knocking out Gabriel Oliviera on the 29th, then finishing both Shintaro Ishiwatari and Manel Kape on New Year’s Eve.
With the victory, that makes it seven in a row for the new Rizin bantamweight champion, since dropping a 2015 bout against the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Demetrious Johnson.