Kyoji Horiguchi Drops to Flyweight, Faces Chris Cariaso at UFC 169 in New Jersey
Kyoji Horiguchi is headed for the UFC’s lightest division. |
Taro Irei/Sherdog.com
Top Japanese prospect Kyoji Horiguchi will cut to 125 pounds for a meeting with Chris Cariaso at UFC 169.
UFC officials Tuesday announced the matchup, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
UFC 169 is headlined by a bantamweight title unification bout between returning champion Dominick Cruz and interim titlist Renan Barao. The pay-per-view event will also feature a featherweight title co-headliner pitting Jose Aldo against Ricardo Lamas.
Horiguchi captured Shooto’s 132-pound title in March and made his stateside debut as a bantamweight last month at UFC 166, dispatching “TUF 14” alum Dustin Pague via second-round TKO. The win marked Horiguchi’s sixth straight victory and his eighth knockout win in 13 career outings.
Cariaso has competed 10 times in the UFC and WEC, posting a 6-4 mark in his three years under the Zuffa banner. “Kamikaze” has gone 2-2 since he dropped to flyweight in July 2012, most recently finishing Iliarde Santos last month at UFC Fight Night 29.
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