LAS VEGAS – Kyoji Horiguchi might not be ready for a shot at one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters just yet.
But in the flyweight division, where Demetrious Johnson has made short work of most of the division, each win the native of Takasaki, Japan racks up brings him one step closer to his biggest goal.
Horiguchi made it 4-0 in the UFC on Saturday night with a one-sided victory at UFC 182 over Yonkers, N.Y.’s Louis Gaudinot. The judges scores at the MGM Grand Garden Arena were 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27.
Horiguchi set the tone in the opening round by pushing forward against a fighter who didn’t seem overly enthused about engaging. Horiguchi managed to land the bulk of the offense in the round.
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Gaudinot had his best moment in the fight in the second round, when he managed to mount a standing Horiguchi and secure a choke while scissoring his opponent’s waist with his leg. Horiguchi managed to get out of the predicament, however, and resumed control.
It was more in the same over the final five minutes, and Horiguchi hunted down a backpedaling Gaudinot and landed when he was able to catch him.
Horiguchi improved to 15-1 on his career; while Gaudinot (6-4, 1 NC) has won just one of his past five fights, including a no-contest.