Overview
- Horiguchi earned a unanimous decision in Las Vegas with scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 after outlanding Albazi and stifling his takedown game.
- The former RIZIN and Bellator titleholder moved to 2-0 since returning to the UFC and called out champion Joshua Van in his post-fight interview.
- He said he may have broken his hand in the first round and appeared with his hand strapped afterward, leaving his next-fight timeline uncertain.
- Peers and analysts, including Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo, publicly urged that Horiguchi be fast-tracked into the flyweight title picture.
- Albazi fought for the first time in about 15 months after a 2024 loss to Brandon Moreno and was unable to establish control or secure takedowns over three rounds.