Thirteen years ago, Shooto champion Kyoji Horiguchi and Pancrase champion Shintaro Ishiwatari met in a memorable clash at VTJ 2nd. The fight went to the fifth round, where Ishiwatari mounted a counter despite being rocked by Horiguchi's relentless striking.
Thirteen years after it first unfolded, the clash between Kyoji Horiguchi and Shintaro Ishiwatari at VTJ 2nd is being revisited as a standout early chapter in Horiguchi's career. The fight, contested between the then-Shooto champion Horiguchi and Pancrase champion Ishiwatari, stretched into a fifth round that saw Ishiwatari find a counter despite absorbing a sustained striking assault from Horiguchi throughout the contest.
Horiguchi, now 35 years old and representing Japan via American Top Team, has grown into one of the most decorated fighters in bantamweight history since that night. He carries a professional record of 36 wins and 6 losses, a testament to the longevity and consistency he has maintained across multiple major promotions. Standing 163 cm tall with a 160 cm reach, the orthodox striker has built his reputation on volume and precision, averaging 3.64 significant strikes landed per minute at a 47 percent accuracy rate. He also adds a credible wrestling dimension, averaging 1.67 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The anniversary spotlight serves as a reminder of how competitive Horiguchi's early career road actually was, long before his championship runs.
- The fifth-round drama between two Japanese champions from rival promotions made the bout a notable cross-promotional moment in the regional scene of that era.
- Revisiting the contest underscores how Horiguchi's striking output and durability were evident even at that formative stage of his career.
