Kyoji Horiguchi wants to run things back with Makoto Shinryu after their no contest at Bellator x Rizin 2.
Horiguchi’s inaugural Bellator flyweight title fight vs. Shinryu was ruled a no contest after he accidentally poked Shinryu in his right eye and rendered him unable to continue. The poke happened just 25 seconds into the first round of the Bellator x Rizin 2 co-main event Saturday at Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo.
Bellator president Scott Coker said he’d like to see the pair rematch, and Horiguchi agrees.
“I guess I would also like to have a rematch,” Horiguchi said through an interpreter at the Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 post-fight press conference.
Horiguchi said he immediately recognized that he poked Shinryu in the eye and is apologetic for the incident.
“It was unfortunate,” Horiguchi said. “I felt my finger going into his eye, so immediately I pointed out that he’s hurt and I sort of stopped the match there.”
Although Horiguchi says he would have continued, he doesn’t fault Shinryu for being unable to compete. Shinryu still couldn’t see after taking the entire five minutes to try and recover, which forced referee Jason Herzog to stop the fight and rule it a no contest.
“If he really couldn’t see from his right eye, then I think the match should have been stopped,” Horiguchi said. “You’re a professional. This goes on the record, also so if you can’t fight, then I don’t think it should have been continued.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator x Rizin 2.
