Rizin Signs Top-5 Ranked Kyoji Horiguchi, Set For First Fight

The UFC has lost another ranked fighter in the form of Japanese sensation Kyoji Horiguchi.

A former UFC title challenger, the 26-year old Horiguchi signed with Japanese promotion Rizin. Horiguchi came up short in his 2015 effort to capture the UFC Flyweight Championship against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 186 in 2015, but it's his only loss in eight UFC fights.

Fightful.com is told that the plan is for Horiguchi to take on Yuki Motoya on April 16 for the company's event in Yokohoma, Japan. It will mark Horiguchi's 15th professional fight in Japan, where he's 13-1. During his UFC run, Horiguchi defeated former title contender Ali Bagautinov, who has also left the company.

Horiguchi joins the likes of Ryan Bader, Lorenz Larkin, Nikita Krylov, Misha Cirkunov and several other ranked UFC fighters on their way out of the company.