Kyoji Horiguchi and Tagir Ulanbekov meet in the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 265 at ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Tagir Ulanbekov UFC Qatar preview
Horiguchi (34-5 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is back in the UFC. His first run with the promotion ended on a three-fight streak in 2016. He went on to become a champion under the Rizin banner and fought for the Bellator title. The 25-year-old now finds himself back in the UFC riding a five-fight winning streak.
Ulanbekov (17-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) competes in his third fight of the year. It’s been a strong 2025 thus far, as Ulanbekov has won unanimous decisions over Clayton Carpenter and Azat Maksum. The 34-year-old flyweight’s last loss was against Tim Elliott in 2022, and he has won all four fights since.
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Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Tagir Ulanbekov UFC Qatar expert pick, prediction
Although it initially looked like the UFC matchmakers were going to commit another crime in their choice of a main-card opener, they thankfully corrected course by giving flyweights Tagir Ulanbekov and Kyoji Horiguchi some deserved shine.
A former flyweight title challenger who was both pushed too fast and let go of too soon, Horiguchi – to the delight of hardcore fans around the world – has finally returned to the octagon.
Horiguchi, who has spent the majority of his career fighting in organizations like Bellator and RIZIN, has steadily sharpened his MMA wrestling and overall game since linking up with American Top Team.
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Whereas Ulanbekov, a longtime member of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov squad, has always been a solid grappler and wrestler who has steadily improved his striking.
This could very well be a hard fight to both win and look good in for Horiguchi, but I also believe that Ulanbekov has been walking a fine line for some time now as far as being able to lock down his win conditions. And against someone who can wrestle and punctuate their presence in small spaces like Horiguchi, this could be where Ulankebov gets burned.
Aside from Ulanbekov’s wins not aging well as of late, I have a sneaky suspicion that the 34-year-old’s weight cuts are hitting a point of diminishing returns.
A gritty decision either way is the most likely outcome here, but I’ll take a flier on Horiguchi catching Ulanbekov cold with a punch in Round 1.
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Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Tagir Ulanbekov UFC Qatar odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Dagestani fighter, listing Ulanbekov -215 and Horguchi +172 via FanDuel.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Tagir Ulanbekov UFC Qatar start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Horiguchi and Ulanbekov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 1:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on ESPN+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Qatar: Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Tagir Ulanbekov prediction, start time
