UFC Fight Night: Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi Preview & Prediction
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Flyweights are on deck for the co-main event of the evening, with Amir Albazi looking to halt Kyoji Horiguchi's resurgence on MMA's biggest stage.
Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi facts
What time are Amir Albazi and Kyoji Horiguchi expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira main card
Mario Bautista vs Vinicius Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
Jailton Almeida vs Rizvan Kuniev (Heavyweight)
Michał Oleksiejczuk vs Marc-Andre Barriault (Middleweight)
Jean Matsumoto vs Farid Basharat (Bantamweight)
Dustin Jacoby vs Julius Walker (Light Heavyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira prelims
Alex Morono vs Daniil Donchenko (Welterweight)
Bruna Brasil vs Ketlen Souza (Women’s Strawweight)
Said Nurmagomedov vs Javid Basharat (Bantamweight)
Wang Cong vs Eduarda Moura (Women’s Flyweight)
Muin Gafurov vs Jakub Wiklacz (Bantamweight)
Klaudia Syguła vs Priscila Cachoeira (Women’s Bantamweight)
Nikolay Veretennikov vs Jose Henrique Souza (Middleweight)
Amir Albazi: "The Prince" aims to rebound from his first loss since joining the UFC
Kicking off his tenure with a 5-0 run in the promotion, Amir Albazi (17-2) was touted by many as a dark horse at 125 pounds prior to his last two bouts. Although he walked away with the decision victory against Kai-Kara France in 2023 to seemingly cement himself as a top contender, the result was widely decried as a robbery, damaging Albazi’s stock and popularity amongst the fanbase. A decisive decision defeat to Brandon Moreno last time out decidedly didn’t help matters either, while his overall activity has been another major stumbling block for “The Prince.” Albazi has has fought just six times since joining the promotion back in 2020; he’s had bouts fall through on no less than eight occasions during that stretch.
Kyoji Horiguchi: The flyweight legend returns looking to fire his name into the mix at 125 pounds
One of the greatest to ever do it at 125 pounds, former Rizin and Bellator flyweight and bantamweight champion, Kyoji Horiguchi (35-5) made a sensational return to the promotion last November after posting a 7-1 record in his first UFC stint. A heavy-handed counter striker with excellent wrestling and an underrated submission game in his back pocket, Horiguchi seemingly took the fact that he closed as the underdog against Tagir Ulanbekov personally, beating the Dagestani prospect like he stole something en route to a stunning club-and-sub technical submission victory. At 35, “The Typhoon” is likely nearing the end of the road, but his last performance indicates that he has more than enough left in the tank for one last title tilt, particularly considering the general lack of contenders at flyweight.
Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi prediction
It’s hard to escape the sensation that Albazi’s No. 6 ranking in the division is more due to chance, circumstance, and favourable matchups rather than a truly elite skillset. Kai Kara-France is “The Prince’s” best win by a country mile and there’s a solid argument that he didn’t even deserve the win on that occasion.
By contrast, it’s not hyperbole to state that Horiguchi is one of the most decorated and well-rounded flyweights in MMA history. Winning belts in multiple promotions and consistently beating solid levels of competition, the only man to hand “Gooch” an legitimate loss in the UFC remains flyweight GOAT, Demetrious Johnson.
Horiguchi would arguably still be the favorite in this match up prior to decimating Tagir Ulanbekov in his promotional return; a sensational performance against a younger, larger opponent. Outside of “Mighty Mouse” and a considerably larger fighter in Patchy Mix, the Japanese veteran is such a technical maestro that he typically only loses to fighters who manage to land a shocking KO blow out of nowhere. Albazi has power, but a KO over Alessandro Costa more than three years ago isn’t enough to convince me that he has what it takes to flatline Horiguchi.
It’s difficult to see an area where the “The Prince” holds the advantage; an ill omen considering just how badly Horiguchi beat the brakes of an outmatched opponent last time out. The ATT standout hurts Albazi standing before locking up a submission or simply batters him across three rounds to firmly insert his name into the title conversation.
Prediction: Kyoji Horiguchi to win
