Kyoji Horiguchi delivered a dominant performance against Amir Albazi at UFC Vegas 113 on February 7, 2026, at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, battering and bloodying Albazi en route to a lopsided decision victory. The win marks Horiguchi's second consecutive victory since returning to the UFC, establishing him as a serious contender in the flyweight division. Following the impressive performance, Horiguchi immediately called for a title shot, positioning himself as the next challenger in the flyweight title picture. The victory showcases Horiguchi's return to form and his readiness to compete at the highest level of the division.
Kyoji Horiguchi made a loud statement at UFC Vegas 113 on February 7, battering and bloodying Amir Albazi over the course of a lopsided decision victory at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The win prompted Horiguchi to immediately call out the flyweight champion, positioning himself as the division's next title challenger.
Horiguchi, 35, enters the record books at 36-6-0 and has now strung together back-to-back victories since rejoining the UFC. The Japanese veteran trains out of American Top Team and brings a high-output, efficient striking game to the cage — averaging 3.64 significant strikes per minute at a 47 percent accuracy rate, among the sharper outputs in the flyweight division. At five-foot-four with a 63-inch reach, he is not physically imposing, but his technical precision has long compensated for any size disadvantage.
Albazi, the Iraqi-born contender who fights out of Xtreme Couture, came in ranked fourth in the flyweight division with a 17-3-0 record. The 32-year-old had established himself as one of the more well-rounded fighters in the weight class, averaging 1.18 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside his striking output of 2.47 significant strikes per minute. Despite those credentials, he was unable to keep pace with Horiguchi's pressure and found himself outworked across the scorecards.
Why it matters
- Horiguchi's second straight win since his UFC return has him knocking loudly on the title picture door
- Albazi entered ranked fourth at flyweight, meaning a decisive victory carries real divisional weight
- The style matchup favored Horiguchi's volume and accuracy over Albazi's more balanced but lower-output approach
- A potential title shot would represent one of the sport's more compelling comeback narratives at 125 pounds
