Kyoji Horiguchi`s planned return to the UFC in June has been canceled.
The prominent Japanese fighter, a former UFC flyweight title contender, was originally scheduled to compete on the UFC Baku card set for June 21, marking the promotion`s debut event in Azerbaijan. However, Horiguchi is no longer expected to participate on the card, having been removed from his scheduled bout against Tagir Ulanbekov for undisclosed reasons.
Stepping in as Horiguchi`s replacement is Azat Maksum, who has accepted the fight against Ulanbekov on relatively short notice. The fight is still planned to take place in approximately four weeks.
Multiple sources familiar with the promotion`s plans confirmed this adjustment on Monday.
This change represents an unfortunate delay for Horiguchi`s comeback and is likely disappointing for Ulanbekov as well. The flyweight contender, who trains under the guidance of Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team, misses out on what would have been a significant matchup for the division.
Instead, Ulanbekov will now face Maksum, who holds a UFC record of 1 win and 1 loss, including a victory over Tyson Nam and a defeat to Charles Johnson.
For Ulanbekov, this fight provides an opportunity to extend his current winning streak to four consecutive bouts, following recent triumphs over Clayton Carpenter, Cody Durden, and Nate Maness.
The UFC Baku event is scheduled for June 21, with a light heavyweight main event featuring former champion Jamahal Hill against Khalil Rountree Jr.
