Kyoji Horiguchi has been removed from the UFC Baku card on June 21, with Azat Maksum stepping in to fight Tagir Ulanbekov instead.
Kyoji Horiguchi won’t be making his return to the UFC in June after all. The Japanese star, once a UFC flyweight title challenger, was initially set to compete at UFC Baku on June 21. This event marks the promotion’s debut in Azerbaijan. Sadly, Horiguchi has been pulled from his fight against Tagir Ulanbekov for undisclosed reasons.
In his place, Azat Maksum steps up. He’s accepted the fight with Ulanbekov on short notice, with just four weeks to prepare. Multiple sources confirmed this change to MMA Fighting on Monday, following an initial report from Red Corner MMA.
It’s an unfortunate delay for Horiguchi and likely a disappointment for Ulanbekov too. As a flyweight veteran trained under Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ulanbekov misses out on a significant divisional fight. Instead, he faces Maksum, who holds a 1-1 record in the UFC. Maksum’s record includes a win over Tyson Nam and a loss to Charles Johnson.
This fight is Ulanbekov’s chance to secure his fourth consecutive victory. He’s previously defeated Clayton Carpenter, Cody Durden, and Nate Maness. The UFC Baku card, scheduled for June 21, features former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill against Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event.