HONOLULU – [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] expects to emerge as a title contender with a win over [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag].
Borg (16-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) draws former champion Horiguchi (31-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in a flyweight bout in his promotional debut at Saturday’s Bellator 295 event. The card takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu with the main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Bellator doesn’t have a flyweight division, but it appears Borg’s sights are set on 135-pound gold. On the same night Borg competes, the Bellator bantamweight grand prix will be settled when interim champ Raufeon Stots meets Patchy Mix in the final. The winner of that fight will face champion Sergio Pettis or upcoming title challenger Patricio Freire.
Borg plans on entering the title discussions, too, if he’s victorious.
“I don’t see why winning this fight wouldn’t throw me right in that mix,” Borg told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I don’t know why winning this fight wouldn’t catapult me into the front of the line or at least close to the front of the line. There’s some good fights this weekend in terms of this division, but right now I have my eyes set on Horiguchi and we’ll worry about all that later.”
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A former UFC flyweight title challenger, Borg wouldn’t have it any other way than to take on a stern test like Horiguchi right off the bat.
“I would’ve been kind of bummed if they didn’t give me someone like Horiguchi,” Borg said. “I’ve been in this sport a long time, I’ve fought some really high-level competition, and the fact that me and Horiguchi hadn’t fought in the past was surprising. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to make my Bellator debut. He’s a great fighter, he’s been in the sport a long time, he’s a veteran as well. I just think it’s a great matchup.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 295.