After suffering a severe injury that forced him to undergo surgery, Bellator bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi (28-3) has relinquished the title he won last June at Bellator 222.
With the championship now vacant, Bellator will move to book a 135-pound title bout in the coming months.
Per a press release, Kyoji Horiguchi has relinquished the @BellatorMMA bantamweight title due to injury. pic.twitter.com/47XLKyY86Y
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) November 27, 2019
“I feel terrible for Kyoji (Horiguchi) about the injury he suffered to his knee, but in the true spirit of martial arts and being a true champion, he has elected to vacate his title and allow the division to move forward in his absence,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “After fully healing, we plan to give Kyoji an immediate title shot.”
