This past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 113, we saw a big time matchup in the flyweight division. Kyoji Horiguchi (36-5) was looking to pickup his second straight win since returning to the octagon against top contender Amir Albazi (17-3).
Given the fluid state of the UFC’s flyweight division, this was a massive matchup for the division. Horiguchi returned in impressive fashion near the end of last year and Albazi is still one of the very best in the world. Horiguchi was the betting favorite but I didn’t want to rule out Albazi until I saw how things went early in this fight.
From the jump, you could tell that Albazi was going to struggle. The speed and striking accuracy of Horiguchi was just too much for Albazi. Throughout the three rounds, Horiguchi was just touching him up and busting him up. Albazi had moments here and there, but it was all about Horiguchi on Saturday. In the end, he won a lopsided decision at UFC Vegas 113.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 113?
Earlier last week, Kyoji Horiguchi said that the UFC approached him about stepping in to face Brandon Moreno later this month in the Mexico main event. However, he said he wanted to fight Albazi first and then he would be willing to face Moreno in just a couple of weeks.
The promotion ultimately moved on to Lone’er Kavanagh, but I really wish they would reconsider. No disrespect to Kavanagh, but him against Moreno isn’t a great main event. On the flip side, Kyoji Horiguchi – Brandon Moreno would be a sensational main event for UFC Mexico.
While they absolutely could make the switch, I don’t think that they will. In terms of Horiguchi’s next fight, it all comes down to what’s next for the flyweight title. It appears that Joshua Van is going to defend his flyweight title before Alexandre Pantoja is ready to return.
The title shot is going to be against either Manel Kape or Tatsuro Taira. If you ask me, I think that the UFC should book Van against Kape and then have Taira face off against Horiguchi. There’s rumors about a potential Japan card in a few months and I think those two fights could easily headline that card.
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