A siren-like chime blasts through the expanse to set the blaze red numbers counting down on the round clock hanging on the east wall. The sound of feet shuffling across mat space dominates to become the soundtrack in the post-buzzer void.

A split-second later and the first padded fist finds a home which serves to set off an unintentional ripple effect that sounds the way “A Chorus Line” going domino would play . The unmistakable pip-pap of a 1-2 firing crips is the final distinguishable sound before the face-punching orchestra abandons art for grit.

It’s Thursday afternoon at American Top Team and big bodies by the pair commence to get down to the work. Former Bellator middleweight king turned UFC divisional adventurer Hector Lombard slides in then out at range as he toys with his food. Several heartbeats later and a slight fake inside on an leg kick sets up a straight left hand that summons the wah-wahs.

Two shuffles to the right and former LSU football standout turned heavyweight bruiser Shawn Jordan throws big punches between deep breaths as a fellow summoner of thunder Junior dos Santos looks on from the half bleachers. If the ability to bring abrupt and violent sleeps were a mystical power only found in a galaxy far, far away, the towering Brazilian would be the most powerful Jedi in the room.

Perhaps in the entire greater Miami area as well.

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Just beyond where the black and blue mats (not happenstance) meet a chain link divider lightweight staples Dustin Poirier and Will Brooks holder court as they warm up. The Louisiana native is just a few weeks out from his return to the Octagon while his friend and teammate is yet to a proper dance partner to kick off his 2017 campaign.

Noticeably missing from their subset crew is Jorge Masvidal but the former streetfighter turned professional prizefighter left out for Denver a few weeks ahead of his fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC on Fox 23 in Denver. Masvidal closed the door to 2016 holding back-to-back wins and defeating a red-hot Cerrone on Jan. 28 would change the entire scenery of the Miami native’s career.

As the fighters slinging leather in the heart of the massive facility continue to do so, a collection of coaches the likes of International wrestling savage Steve Mocco and Kami keep peeled eyes on the action as ATT owner and fight game legend Dan Lambert admire the sweat equity being invested.

And while every drop of attention being doled out falls somewhere on or around the main mats, a small figure is darting across the backround. A closer look be damned as the gi draped over his shoulders becomes a blur of white as a takedown to mount to armbar to tap hits with machine gun kick..leaving an Ultimate Fighter alum on the royal blue mat shaking his head.

Kyoji Horiguchi has proven to have a variety of spectacular talents inside the cage, but the feat witnessed during grappling practice spawns the urge to investigate further.


Nov 19, 2016; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Kyoji Horiguchi (red gloves) fights Ali Bagautinov (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at SSE Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

“You’re so goddamn fast Kyoji,” Matt schnell breathed in disbelief. “It’s like I’m grappling three of you in here. For f*ck’s sake.”

“Thank you very much,” Horiguchi replied before bowing his head in respect.

In light of a job well done there is a smile plastered from ear to ear across the Japanese flyweight’s face. And while the genesis of his joy was certainly born from a job well done on the mats, there is a slight strain added to the mix only visible to the sharpest of reads.

“You ready to go again?” his training partner asked. There are already tinges of defeat on his face as a jiu-jitsu tiger on the brink of Saiyan transformation draws closer.

Horiguchi offers no response just pushes the smile wider and nods his head a bit as he prepares to engage.

“F*ckin Demetrious Johnson isn’t going to be ready for you this time around,” another training partner chimed in from the corner of the room. “How do you think he stops that?”

The 26-year-old whirlwind continues to beam then offers his answer to the question posed about Johnson.

“Thank you very much,” Horiguchi said before bumping knuckles with his partner and diving back into the exchange.

A few people in the small collective pick up the situation at hand and give a warm-hearted chuckle, while remaining stragglers never even notice the slip.

By the time I connect the dots and put it all together the tap has already happened. Frustration sparks another slap of the mat, which is then followed by another comment on the blistering speed in which Horiguchi is and has been working for the past 20 months.

“Thank you very much,” Horiguchi pushed before any compliments have been offered up.

This move sparks the assembled crew into laughter, and right on cue Horiguchi turns to where I’m standing at throws a smile and a knowing point. Similar to how he’s shredded the large majority of his fellow flyweights, Horiguchi’s timing and hand speed are murderous.

“Thank you very much,” I replied in an attempt to get in on the joke.

“You’re welcome,” Horiguchi countered with a Gronk spike on the conversation.

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Thirty minutes after the grappling session has ended and the larger bodied fighters have concluded their face-punching for the day, the massive facility just off State Road 7 becomes an entirely different animal.

The hustle and bustle has fallen quite and only a skeleton crew remains. Dos Santos is busy conversing with a random man who happened through the doors, then proceeds to snap a few pictures after the retired tow truck driver finally works up the courage to ask.

Horiguchi is standing just 20 yards away from their interaction, but there is a deep schism separating him in a figurative sense.  

The former 125-pound title challenger has supreme confidence he’s one of the best flyweight fighters in the world, but holds a lingering concern over the recognition of his status. This is especially the case when it comes to the promotional banner he competes under.

“I know the way I speak has a lot to do with how things are,” Horiguchi said. “My English is getting much better, but it’s still not good enough for the UFC to want to market me. I am a very good fighter. One of the best. I deserve another title shot.”


Nov 19, 2016; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Kyoji Horiguchi (red gloves) fights Ali Bagautinov (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at SSE Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Teammate and friend Matt Schnell is standing close by and serves as a sounding board for Horiguchi as he verbalizes his thoughts. Every few words the flyweight wrecking machine will pause, but after looking at The Ultimate Fighters season 24 alum, he continues.

“I’m a good boy who fights hard and stays quiet. I do my job and put on good fights. I don’t speak English very well but fighting is very good and I should be rewarded because of that. It can get very frustrating at times, but I am not a person who gives up when things are hard.”

Facing up to difficult challenges is old hat where Horiguchi is concerned. The majority of fight fans turn on their TVs or computers to watch fights on a Saturday night, and hardly give a second thought as to what was required of the athletes to reach the cage in whatever city they are competing in.

With that being the case, the number of people who take the time to appreciate Horiguchi’s specific journey are few and far between.

Following his loss to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 186 in April of 2015, Horiguchi knew changes needed to be made. While the pound-for-pound great controlled the fight before putting the young challenger away in the final second of the 25 minute affair, it was the manner in which Johnson dictated the action which prompted Horiguchi to make changes.

And while it is common place for a fighter to add a specialty coach or alter training regimens following a setback, what Horiguchi was facing presented an entirely different scope of complexity.


May 8, 2016; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Neil Seery moves in with a punch as Kyoji Horiguchi defends during UFC Fight Night at Ahoy Rotterdam. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

In order to find the training he believed was needed to become a champion, Horiguchi needed to find a team who could provide the necessary coaching and quality of training partners. American Top Team in South Florida was the only option the flyweight contender considered, but relocating halfway around the world was hardly the biggest hurdle he faced.

While the staff and roster at the Coconut Creek facility are as globally diverse as they come in the fight game, Horiguchi would become the only Japanese member of the team.

This meant he was heading into in a strange land all alone, without another human being who could understand the language he spoke. Nevertheless, Horiguchi would not be deterred and dove headfirst into the madness.

“I know I needed to come here to improve my technique,” Horiguchi explained slowly. “There are great coaches and training partners here and I didn’t have that in Japan. It was kind of scary being so far away from home and not being able to speak the language, but I could understand English pretty good. Now, I speak English much better.”

“We were pretty much roomates in the dorms and we got on just fine,” Schnell added. “I couldn’t speak his language and he couldn’t speak mine, but funny enough we never had a problem communicating. When it came to training, fighting really is a universal language because we were able to provide instruction and help to one another almost immediately. As for talking and just regular bullsh*tting....that wasn’t as easy but we got by.

“People don’t realize he came all way over from Japan and didn’t know a soul. Furthermore, there wasn’t a single person here who knew what he was saying. If you know what he’s done and still question the guy’s commitment to becoming the best you have balls to say that.”


May 8, 2016; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Kyoji Horiguchi reacts following his victory against Neil Serry during UFC Fight Night at Ahoy Rotterdam. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Horiguchi has not only made it difficult to question his drive to become the best fighter he can be, but he’s made it hard to keep him out of the title conversation as well. The former Kid Yamamoto protege has rolled off three consecutive victories since his loss to Johnson in Montreal, and looked damn near unstoppable in the process.

With a solid winning streak intact, Horiguchi hoped he’d once again be considered for a shot at championship gold, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Therefore, Horiguchi finds himself sitting idle on the sidelines, and being stalled is having an interesting effect on the.

Where martial arts has always provided the line of discipline to walk, and general shyness has taken care of what remained, Horiguchi is getting pissed off, and this new development is bringing out a different side of the perennial contender.

“I don’t know what I’m going to have to do, but I have to do something,” Horiguchi blasted with a mixture of laughter and over the top Hulk rage. “I will have to turn into the Japanese Conor McGregor and just start talking very whatever I want. My English isn’t good yet so I can’t say a lot. I’ll just say it loud,” he laughed.

Schnell, who also fought back the laughter from a Horighuchi Hulk face added, “The guy is who is and that should be enough, but the fight game is all about selling yourself. Kyoji has been picking up English very quickly and it won’t be long before he’ll be able to say all kinds of things. I think he’s joking though about talking trash. That’s just not his nature.”

While Horiguchi doesn’t have an official opponent on the schedule, he’s doing all he can do to land another shot with Johnson in 2017. If the UFC doesn’t believe he’s quite ready for another title opportunity, Horiguchi has no problem competing in a bout to determine the true No. 1 contender in the 125-pound ranks.

The only other fighter within similar range of a title shot at the current time is Joseph Benavidez.


Apr 24, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Kyoji Horiguchi stands on the scale during weigh-ins for UFC 186 at Metropolis. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

The perennial title title threat has challenged for world titles in two different divisions, and has two failed attempts to dethrone Johnson’s reign as flyweight king. Benavidez’s second attempt resulted in a first-round starching at the hands of the Washington state native, the impact of that finish guaranteed it would be a long while before he would be eligible to earn another opportunity.

Nevertheless, Benavidez has rolled off six-straight victories inside the Octagon, and is undoubtedly knocking on the door of another go at “Mighty Mouse.” Should the UFC decide Benavidez needs one more win to prove he’s worthy, Horiguchi is more than willing to provide the dance ticket.

Benavidez has faced and defeated every high-profile talent in the flyweight ranks, save for two, and Horiguchi is proud to hold that distinction. Horiguchi also realizes a victory over Benavidez would make his case for another title shot undeniable, and that ups the appeal of a potential matchup significantly.

“I would love to fight Joseph Benavidez,” Horiguchi said. “He is a tough fighter and a win over him means that cannot deny me the title shot. He’s fought everyone in this division but me and it needs to happen. I am better than him in every part of the game, and I think that’s the reason why our paths have never crossed.

“Whatever it takes to get another fight with Johnson is what I will do. He beat me last time but I’m a much better fighter. I have improved everywhere in my game, and that’s not something he will be able to handle. I’ve seen his speed now and I am going to be the faster fighter. I will defeat him to become champion. I just need the chance to do it. I need the UFC to give me that chance.”