How AgentMMA breaks down Asu Almabayev vs Kyoji Horiguchi
Finish Maps
UFC Record Breakdown
Performance Stats
Performance Breakdown
Performance Breakdown
Last Opponents
Kyoji Horiguchi and Asu Almabayev share an uncomfortable reference point: Manel Kape stopped both men in round 3. Horiguchi was finished by punches on the ground, while Almabayev was stopped by punches at distance. That common opponent gives this meeting some bite, but those different endings cannot tell us who controls the exchanges when these two meet. The timing matters here, because Horiguchi's loss followed a unanimous decision win over Amir Albazi, leaving him looking for a response.
- Both suffered against Kape, but those losses came in different positions.
- Almabayev brings a winning run while Horiguchi looks to bounce back.
- Horiguchi can threaten submissions too, so position matters after every takedown.
Round 3 looks like the likeliest turning point, when repeated battles for position could make a rushed escape harder to correct.
Almabayev responded to his defeat by beating Jose Ochoa by unanimous decision, submitting Alex Perez with a clinch guillotine and catching Charles Johnson in a Suloev stretch from back control. That last finish is a nasty reminder that giving him your back creates more than one problem. Horiguchi has his own answer to anyone treating him as harmless on the mat: he submitted Tagir Ulanbekov with a rear naked choke in Doha. So Almabayev's job is not simply to get close, but to secure position before chasing the next opening.
Horiguchi needs space to strike and clean exits, because a rushed escape can hand a grappler another grip. The real question is whether Almabayev can keep those wrestling exchanges connected or Horiguchi can repeatedly reset the fight at distance. Their submission wins on the same Doha card make that battle over position especially interesting.
Asu Almabayev
Asu Almabayev finish map
UFC Record Breakdown
Asu Almabayev breakdown
Performance Breakdown
Asu Almabayev's recent form
Kyoji Horiguchi and Asu Almabayev share an uncomfortable reference point: Manel Kape stopped both men in round 3. Horiguchi was finished by punches on the ground, while Almabayev was stopped by punches at distance. That common opponent gives this meeting some bite, but those different endings cannot tell us who controls the exchanges when these two meet. The timing matters here, because Horiguchi's loss followed a unanimous decision win over Amir Albazi, leaving him looking for a response.
- Both suffered against Kape, but those losses came in different positions.
- Almabayev brings a winning run while Horiguchi looks to bounce back.
- Horiguchi can threaten submissions too, so position matters after every takedown.
Round 3 looks like the likeliest turning point, when repeated battles for position could make a rushed escape harder to correct.
Almabayev responded to his defeat by beating Jose Ochoa by unanimous decision, submitting Alex Perez with a clinch guillotine and catching Charles Johnson in a Suloev stretch from back control. That last finish is a nasty reminder that giving him your back creates more than one problem. Horiguchi has his own answer to anyone treating him as harmless on the mat: he submitted Tagir Ulanbekov with a rear naked choke in Doha. So Almabayev's job is not simply to get close, but to secure position before chasing the next opening.
Horiguchi needs space to strike and clean exits, because a rushed escape can hand a grappler another grip. The real question is whether Almabayev can keep those wrestling exchanges connected or Horiguchi can repeatedly reset the fight at distance. Their submission wins on the same Doha card make that battle over position especially interesting.
Kyoji Horiguchi
Kyoji Horiguchi finish map
UFC Record Breakdown
Kyoji Horiguchi breakdown
Performance Breakdown
Kyoji Horiguchi's recent form
