We have signed former @BellatorMMA
Bantamweight World Champion @Kyoji1012
Horiguchi and I can’t wait to see him compete in our stacked
bantamweight division. pic.twitter.com/m2YKHJf2J0— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker)
September 10, 2021
A high-profile free agent has just signed on the dotted line for
Bellator MMA.
On Thursday night, Bellator head Scott Coker posted on Twitter
that the organization has signed Kyoji
Horiguchi (29-3) at bantamweight. He does not currently have
his first opponent booked, but it is largely expected he will vie
for the bantamweight belt held by Sergio
Pettis.
Horiguchi achieved an incredible feat back in 2019 when he captured
the Bellator strap from Darrion
Caldwell at Bellator 222. As the reigning Rizin Fighting Federation kingpin as well, he
became the
second fighter in major organizational history to serve as
simultaneous champion in two different promotions – Alistair
Overeem was the first with Strikeforce and Dream. The Japanese champ relinquished both titles
when tearing his ACL in 2019, opting not to hold on to either and
instead chose to potentially vie for them in his eventual
return.
The two-league king suffered the first knockout loss of his career
to Kai
Asakura in a non-title affair in 2019. He came back from injury
to rematch Asakura in December, and at that time, Asakura had won
the bantamweight throne. Horiguchi returned the favor by knocking
Asakura out in the first round to get his belt back. According to a
statement from
Rizin chief Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Horiguchi will be allowed to keep
the Rizin title even though he is leaving the company, as Bellator
will supposedly let Rizin borrow Horiguchi in the future.