MANILA, Philippines – The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced the first undercard bout for its second live Philippine event on October 15.
The world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization confirmed on Tuesday, August 16, that Japanese fighter Kyoji Horiguchi will face Russia's Ali Bagautinov in a 3-round flyweight encounter at UFC Fight Night Manila 2.
Both men are former UFC flyweight title challengers. Bagautinov unsuccessfully challenged Demetrious Johnson for the 125-pound division's top prize in June 2014, while Horiguchi yielded to the reigning champion via fifth-round submission in April 2015.
Since his painful loss to Johnson, Horiguchi (17-2) has bounced back by winning his last two Octagon outings, scoring decision victories over Chico Camus in September 2015 and Neil Seery back in May.
In the other corner, Bagautinov (14-4) recently snapped his two-fight losing skid at the expense of Geane Herrera last June.
Horiguchi is ranked No. 3 in the UFC flyweight rankings, while Bagautinov holds the No. 8 spot.
UFC Fight Night Manila 2, which takes place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, is headlined by a 5-round featherweight showdown between MMA legend BJ Penn and Ricardo Lamas. – Rappler.com