Demetrious Johnson shares his main concern about former rival Kyoji Horiguchi's UFC return
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson recently weighed in on his former rival Kyoji Horiguchi's return to the promotion. After his conquest at international promotions like RIZIN and Bellator, the Takasaki native is finally set to make his comeback after eight years.
During his tenure, 'The Typhoon' was widely regarded as one of the best flyweights in the organization. He famously fought Johnson at UFC 186, where he lost the fight via an armbar submission in the fifth round.
At RIZIN 50, Horiguchi announced that he is officially vacating his flyweight title to migrate to the UFC again, with the championship as his goal.
Check out Kyoji Horiguchi announcing his return to the UFC below:
Speaking to Submission Radio, 'Mighty Mouse' expressed his views on the former RIZIN flyweight champion's return:
"It's very fascinating when you see a guy like Kyoji Horiguchi leave the UFC to begin with. Goes back to Rizin, had some good battles there. Now, for the opportunity to come to the UFC, where one of his main training partners is Alexandre Pantoja, is the champion. What are his options?"
He continued:
"I don't foresee him and Alex Pantoja ever fighting. That's gonna put a big strain on his career. He is getting older. It's a very interesting dynamic as to why he's coming back now. I'm excited that he's back but how do they make that dynamic work?"
Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below (0:50):
Despite having an illustrious career in the UFC, one of the main reasons for Horiguchi's departure was due to his Karate master Hirou Nihei's battle against cancer.
Henry Cejudo comments on Kyoji Horiguchi's return to the UFC: "We're looking at a future champion"
During Kyoji Horiguchi's brief stint in the UFC, Henry Cejudo was a flyweight contender. Although both contenders never faced each other in the octagon, 'Triple C' admits the Takasaki native was a threat to him.
The 38-year-old also believes that the Japanese fighter has a chance to beat UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and earn champion status. On his podcast Pound 4 Pound, co-hosted by former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, Cejudo had this to say:
"He [Kyoji Horiguchi] was 7-1 in the UFC. He won the Bellator world title, the RIZIN world title. To me, when I was in flyweight and we both were in the same division, other than Demetrious Johnson, who is his only loss, he was a guy that was a biggest threat to me. Stylistically, his stance, his motion, his explosive power."
He continued:
"I personally see that [Horiguchi winning the title]. We're looking at a future champion at the flyweight division, 125 pounds. I think I will bet fifty racks on that."
Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below (32:24):