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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Kyoji Horiguchi's title shot at UFC 186 is coming because of John Lineker's inability to make weight for the flyweight division. However, the 24-year-old Japanese fighter plans to take full advantage of the opportunity.
"This is the perfect time for me to get a title shot," Horiguchi said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. "As usual, I'm going to work very hard in training and have a hard training camp before the fight. I am going for the victory and going for the title."
Horiguchi believes he's a unique stylistic challenge for Champ Demetrious Johnson, and thinks he's got what it takes to become Champion.
"My fighting style is different from Johnson's other opponents," Horiguchi said. "My ability to control the distance, my movements and my motions with my hands because of my karate background. I understand he has the speed, but I have a different type of speed. I'm going to face him and fight the way I usually do with my fighting style. My standup game is good enough to fight with him."
"This is my honor to have a title shot. I'm going to make the most of it and become the first Japanese UFC champion. I am the most exciting fighter at flyweight, and I'm going to become champion."
Penick's Analysis: Horiguchi is a very good fighter, and he can be quite exciting. He wasn't in his last fight, and Johnson is a huge step up in competition from anything he's faced himself at this point in his career. Still, he's got a lot of talent, and he should at least be competitive in that title fight next month.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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