Nearly a decade after leaving the Octagon, the Japanese superstar returns this weekend (Sat., Nov. 22, 2025) against No. 11-ranked Tagir Ulanbekov on the UFC Qatar main card inside ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar.
Horiguchi hasn’t fought for UFC since early 2017, but his absence was anything but quiet — it was a world tour that turned him into one of the most accomplished lighter-weight fighters of his generation.
So, where has the Guch been?
After parting ways with UFC after opting not to renew his contract despite being on a three-fight win streak, Horiguchi immediately became the cornerstone of Japan’s RIZIN Fighting Federation. The Japanese star debuted for the promotion in April 2017 and quickly established himself as one of the best fighters outside the UFC. Throughout 2017, he tore through RIZIN’s Bantamweight Grand Prix, defeating talents such as Ian McCall (in nine seconds) and Manel Kape before finishing Shintaro Ishiwatari in the finals.
In 2018, he tapped Bellator champion Darrion Caldwell to seize the inaugural RIZIN Bantamweight title. Horiguchi would next fight Ben Nguyen in a non-title fight at RIZIN 15 (April 2019) and would knock Nguyen out in the first round. Next, he rematched Caldwell this time in Bellator for the Bellator Bantamweight Championship and would snatch that belt via unanimous decision. For a brief period, he was the king of two organizations at once.
In 2021, he returned to Bellator for a title fight against Sergio Pettis, dominating much of the bout before being knocked out by a late spinning backfist (watch it). He then entered the Bantamweight World Grand Prix but fell short against Patchy Mix.
From there, Horiguchi bounced between RIZIN and Bellator crossover events, submitting Yuto Hokamura, dominating Hiromasa Ougikubo in their trilogy, and fighting to a no-contest with Makoto Takahashi. After Bellator’s closure, he closed out his RIZIN tenure with three straight wins, including a decisive victory in the Pettis rematch.
Now, at 35 years old and armed with world-class speed, power, and a wealth of championship experience, Horiguchi returns to the UFC as arguably the most accomplished Flyweight the promotion has ever re-signed. The division has changed dramatically since his departure — new champions, new contenders, new tempo — but Horiguchi returns with something few Flyweights can claim: years of rule over two major promotions.
He left UFC as a promising contender. He comes back as a champion many times over.
If his athleticism still holds, Horiguchi’s second run in UFC could be special. Time will tell.
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