Horiguchi, McCall set to meet at Rizin FF 9
Kyoji Horiguchi and Ian McCall will do in Rizin FF what they didn't in the UFC.
The pair are set to clash in a 134-pound bout at Rizin FF 9 on May 6 in Fukuoka, Japan, the promotion announced Tuesday. Both fighters previously competed in the UFC's flyweight division, but never once shared its Octagon.
Horiguchi parted ways with the UFC in early 2017 on a three-fight win streak that he's since extended to eight in the Rizin ring. The American Top Team man was last seen taking the Japanese outfit's bantamweight grand prix on New Year's Eve, dispatching Manel Kape by third-round submission in the semis and scoring a second-round KO of Shintaro Ishiwatari in the final on the same night. Each of Horiguchi's last four victories have come inside the distance.
McCall was granted his release from the UFC last year after seeing a handful of matchups fall through for a variety of reasons, and finally ended a layoff dating back to January 2015 in the quarterfinals of Rizin's year-end grand prix - only for his misfortune to rage on. Less than two minutes into his grudge match with Kape, he sustained a cut that prompted the attending physician to wave the fight off, thereby anointing Kape the winner by TKO and extending McCall's skid to two bouts.
The following tilts were also booked for the May bill:
- Manel Kape vs. Kai Asakura
- Kanna Asakura vs. Melissa Karagianis
- Tenshin Nasukawa vs. TBD