A return to “The Land of the Rising Sun” is just what Kyoji Horiguchi needed.
Horiguchi left the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with a record of 7-1. He wasn’t satisfied with the promotion’s offer to renew his contract, so he went to Rizin Fighting Federation. He is currently 1-0 with the promotion.
Speaking with Champions.co, Horiguchi didn’t bash his old promotion. He simply felt the move to Rizin would enhance his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career:
“I learned a lot from my time in UFC and I don’t regret it at all. However, to make success in my career as a professional fighter, I know it requires not only fighting knowledge and technique, but also the fame. Fighting in RIZIN, in Japan, it will give me a much bigger opportunity to promote myself. I will be on the top broadcasting company in Japan ‘FUJI TV’ and I can only get that type of exposure with RIZIN. RIZIN treat me very well and I really appreciate it. Everything is well organised and managed very smoothly. I’m very happy here.”
Horiguchi will meet Hideo Tokoro on July 30 in Saitama, Japan.
