Report – Kyoji Horiguchi returns to UFC, targeted for June fight on Azerbaijan card

03/28/2025 03:54 PM

According to mutliple reports this evening, former flyweight title challenger, Kyoji Horiguchi has finally made good on his rumored return to the UFC — with the Japense sensation currently targeted to fight on an upcoming UFC Fight Night Baku card in Azerbaijan this summer.

Horiguchi, a former flyweight title challenger during his lengthy Octagon tenure, challenged former dominant champion, Demetrious Johnson for the title back in 2015, dropping a buzzer-beating armbar submission loss in their UFC 186 headliner.

However, earlier this month, reports detailed how Horiguchi, a former Bellator MMA bantamweight champion who also struck both bantamweight and flyweight gold with Rizin FF — was set to make good on a long-speculated return to the Octagon.

Kyoji Horiguchi set to make UFC return amid nine year layoff

And this evening, as per Laerte Viana on social media, Horiguchi has reportedly made good on his UFC resigning, and furthermore, is targeted to fight on an upcoming premiere card in Azerbaijan for the Octagon leader.

“Kyoji Horiguchi is back in the UFC after nine years,” Viana tweeted. “The Japanese flyweight will make his return in June, on a card that is expected to take place in Uzbekistan. His opponent has not yet been revealed.”

Furthermore this afternoon, Andy Hickey revealed that during the latest UFC anti-doping program update, Japanese star, Horiguchi’s name was present — submitting an anti-doping test sample already.

34-5(1) as a professional, Horiguchi most recently defended the Rizin FF flyweight crown with a unanimous decision win over Nkazimulo Zulu back in December. Last year to boot, Horiguchi avenged a loss to Sergio Pettis with another decision win in the pair’s rematch clash.