Lofty expectations are nothing new to Kyoji Horiguchi.
As the protege of Japanese MMA superstar Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, the 24-year-old flyweight hit the UFC with plenty of momentum when he made his official promotional debut in October 2013. After tearing his way through multiple organizations overseas, The Supernova finally hit American soil at UFC 166 and needed fewer than two rounds of work to cement a successful debut inside the Octagon. The former Shooto bantamweight champion salted Dustin Pague via TKO in the second frame and marked his arrival in impressive fashion.
While the overall lack of depth in the flyweight ranks put Horiguchi on the championship radar from the jump, he would go on to pick up three more victories before getting tapped for title contention. This Saturday night at UFC 186 in Montreal he will attempt to dethrone the only man to ever wear the flyweight title under the UFC banner as he faces dominant champion Demetrious Johnson in the card’s main event.
Although he will come into the bout as a heavy underdog, Horiguchi believes he has what it takes to end Johnson’s run as the 125-pound king. Furthermore, the rising young talent wants to be an example that achieving the ultimate goal is possible.
“This is my time and it’s been coming for a while,” Horiguchi told Bleacher Report with the assistance of a translator. “This is my time and I’m ready. [Johnson] is a very good fighter, but I have a lot of weapons as well. I’m going to use my karate base to control the fight and take advantage in the stand-up game. I will be looking for the knockout at all times.
“The most important thing for me will be winning the championship because it will show my true appreciation for all of my supporters. I also want to show the next generation of kids coming up in martial arts, sports or any other career that dreams do come true. I want to show everyone it’s possible to make a successful career if you work hard enough.”
With a growing profile in MMA’s biggest promotion, and the opportunity to become a champion hovering in the balance this Saturday night in Montreal, it would be easy for mounting pressure to have an impact on a young fighter like Horiguchi. Nevertheless, he has managed to keep everything in check from an emotional standpoint and has kept his focus locked on being the first man to hand Mighty Mouse a loss as a flyweight.
While Horiguchi admits there are several methods he uses to harness his inner-peace, his most prominent hobby couldn’t be more of a contrast to his current career in perfectly timed violence. When Horiguchi isn’t preparing his mind and body for hand-to-hand combat, he prefers to test his skills against some of the most elusive creatures on the planet.
And while he’s currently a certified title challenger in the UFC, someday he may also make a championship run of another kind.
“I love fishing,” Horiguchi said. “I love bass fishing. I went fishing a week ago and caught a huge black bass fish. It was a really big fish and it was great. I have been fishing since I was a young child, and I really enjoy it.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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