Kyoji Horiguchi looked better than ever in his official return to the Octagon earlier today (Sat., Nov. 22, 2025) at UFC Qatar LIVE on ESPN+ from inside the ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar, stunning flyweight contender Tagir Ulanbekov with a dominant third-round submission (rear-naked choke).

Ulanbekov (17-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) competes in his third fight of the year. It's been a strong 2025 thus far, as Ulanbekov has won unanimous decisions over Clayton Carpenter and Azat Maksum. The 34-year-old flyweight's last loss was against Tim Elliott in 2022, and he has won all four fights since.

😱 🚨 Renato Moicano said that Kyoji Horiguchi is better than Alexandre Pantoja and anyone else in the American Top Team. A few days ago Moicano perfectly predicted Horiguchi win over Tagir Ulanbekov on Show Me the Money podcast. 🎥 @showmethepod pic.twitter.com/uSIMkn5nBM

Kyoji Horiguchi recently capped off a triumphant return to the octagon and called for a flyweight title shot. Horiguchi is on a quest to capture UFC gold, which remains the only major championship missing from his career. The Japanese MMA star’s performance showcased that he is a top contender in the division.

Kyoji Horiguchi's return at UFC Qatar was one to remember as he choked out Tagir Ulanbekov before calling out teammate Alexandre Pantoja.

Kyoji Horiguchi made his return to the octagon after 9 years and secured a round three submission victory against Tagir Ulanbekov at UFC Qatar.

We have you covered for all of today's UFC Qatar results, including the men's flyweight bout between Kyoji Horiguchi and Tagir Ulanbekov.

After nine years away from the Octagon, following a successful stint in both RIZIN and Bellator, Kyoji Horiguchi made his Octagon re-debut in a big way,

With a significant size advantage over the former RIZIN champion, Ulanbekov succeeded in taking Horiguchi down in the opening round and took him off his feet late in the first with a stinging calf kick. However, Horiguchi connected with a big right hand as the final second ticked off the clock.

Flyweight title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi is finally coming home. Nearly a decade after leaving the Octagon, the Japanese superstar returns this weekend (Sat., Nov. 22, 2025) against No. 11-ranked Tagir Ulanbekov on the UFC Qatar main card inside ABHA Arena in Doha,

Belal Muhammad (24-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn't earned a victory since July 2024. Muhammad has suffered four of his five career losses by decision. Volkan Oezdemir (21-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) has earned 16 of his 21 career victories by stoppage.