Kyoji Horiguchi continued his climb up the flyweight ranks, scoring an impressive victory over Amir Albazi in the UFC Vegas 113 co-main event.
The biggest moment in the opening round came from Albazi, who connected with a straight right that sat Horiguchi down. However, the former RIZIN and Bellator champion stormed back in the second, catching Albazi with a right of his own, which had the sixth-ranked contender on weak knees.
From that point on, Horiguchi was in control of the clash, landing four times more strikes than his opponent and sending Albazi back to his corner a bloody mess following 10 minutes of action.
Albazi desperately tried to get the fight to the ground in round three, but Horiguchi’s defense continued to hold up, stifling all six of Albazi’s takedown attempts. After breaking away from his opponent, Horiguchi landed a nasty left upside Albazi’s head, putting the Iraqi fighter on wobbly legs.
Horiguchi fought for the finish through the final two minutes, but he couldn’t find that fight-ending shot, sending us to the scorecards for an official decision.
Official Result: Kyoji Horiguchi def. Amir Albazi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Check Out Highlights From Amir Albazi vs. Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 113: