“I wanna get the belt,” began Horiguchi, who carries a 34-5 record with one no contest into Saturday’s clash with Ulanbekov. “If I get the belt, it means a lot because I’m a little bit famous in Japan, so it would make me and the UFC more popular in Japan.
“I want to make it popular.”
As of right now, challenging for the title would create an internal conflict at American Top Team, as the belt is held by Horiguchi’s teammate and training partner Alexandre Pantoja.
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“When I see Pantoja, I am always saying, ‘I will beat your a**!’” he said, jabbing his right index finger at the screen, mimicking the faux anger he exhibits towards his Brazilian contemporary whenever they’re in the gym together. “And then we laugh with each other.”
When asked about potentially seeing an all-ATT clash with the UFC flyweight title hanging in the balance — the champion Pantoja and his longtime head coach and chief corner “Parrumpa” Marcos Da Matta on one side, Horiguchi and his perpetual right-hand man Mike Brown on the other – the 35-year-old returning talent laughed, explaining the awkwardness that would bring given who is in his corner this weekend.
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