Demetrious Johnson would favor Alexandre Pantoja over Kyoji Horiguchi

Demetrious Johnson doesn’t see Kyoji Horiguchi being the one to dethrone UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Horiguchi (34-5 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has re-signed with the UFC after vacating his RIZIN flyweight title. The former UFC 125-pound title challenger, former Bellator champ and former RIZIN champion will return to the octagon for the first time since November 2016.

After failing in his first UFC title bid against Johnson in 2015, Horiguchi hopes he can become the first Japanese UFC champ. However, with Pantoja at the top, Johnson doesn’t think Horiguchi can beat him.

“I think Pantoja does (win),” Johnson told Submission Radio. “I think Pantoja could take a shot. Pantoja hasn’t been dropped, he hasn’t been hurt in all of his UFC career from what I’ve seen. He’s had those great battles against him vs. Brandon Moreno, and right there that’ll be a great matchup. Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Brandon Moreno.

“I mean, there were some matches to be made in the UFC flyweight division without Kyoji Horiguchi ever fighting Alex Pantoja. But if he wants to fight for the belt, he’s going to have to fight Pantoja, and I think when it comes down to it, it’s going to be Pantoja. I think Pantoja, he has a hard chin, he has great grappling.”

Johnson questions whether Horiguchi will even fight Pantoja considering that they’re training partners at American Top Team.

“Now for the opportunity for him to come back to the UFC, but one of his main training partners, Alex Pantoja, is the champion,” Johnson said. “So is he going to go down to 125, or is he going to fight at 135? What are his options? I don’t foresee him and Alex Pantoja ever fighting, so that’s going to put a big strain on his career.

“He is getting older. I believe he’s in his early 30s, maybe mid 30s. Alex Pantoja isn’t going to lose anytime soon, so I think it’s a very interesting dynamic of why he’s coming back now instead of the past where I think now it may be a little interesting because the question is, he has a title in his sights, but his main training partner, Alex Pantoja, is the champion.”