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          MMA divisional rankings: Kyoji Horiguchi makes big leap into men's flyweight top 10

          Kyoji Horiguchi has won two fights in a row since starting his second UFC run last year. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
          • Brett OkamotoFeb 10, 2026, 01:00 PM
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Kyoji Horiguchi defeated Amir Albazi on Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas for his second straight victory since signing with the fight promotion last year. The clear unanimous decision -- Horiguchi amassed a 73-16 edge in significant strikes and fended off all seven of Albazi's takedown attempts -- was good enough to earn the 35-year-old flyweight a place in the ESPN divisional rankings. But it was far from the most glorious moment in his career.

          A decade ago, Horiguchi went 8-1 in his first UFC run, with the lone defeat coming in a 2015 challenge of then-champion Demetrious Johnson. Two years later, Horiguchi left for the Japanese promotion Rizin and soon became its bantamweight champion, then added the Bellator MMA title as well. He vacated both titles because of injury but later became the inaugural Rizin men's flyweight champion. Horiguchi vacated that title last March to sign with the UFC.

          With Saturday's win, Horiguchi is unbeaten in his past eight bouts. He enters the rankings at No. 6. Albazi, despite dropping his second in a row after a 17-1 start to his career, enters the rankings at No. 10.

          The only other rankings movement is at heavyweight, where Jailton Almeida drops out of the top 10 after Saturday's loss to Rizvan Kuniev. The new No. 10 is Ante Delija, who faces eighth-ranked Serghei Spivac on Feb. 21.

          Here are the ESPN pound-for-pound MMA rankings and a list of current UFC champions in all weight classes.

          Results are current; rankings as of Feb. 10. To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.

          HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 265 pounds)

          LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 205 pounds)

          MIDDLEWEIGHT (up to 185 pounds)

          WELTERWEIGHT (up to 170 pounds)

          LIGHTWEIGHT (up to 155 pounds)

          FEATHERWEIGHT (up to 145 pounds)

          MEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT (up to 135 pounds)

          MEN'S FLYWEIGHT (up to 125 pounds)

          WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT (up to 135 pounds)

          WOMEN'S FLYWEIGHT (up to 125 pounds)

          STRAWWEIGHT (up to 115 pounds)