Bellator 272 pre-event facts: Kyoji Horiguchi returns with historic resume

Find out why professionals are using BoxBandz

Bellator closes out its 2021 event schedule on Friday with Bellator 272, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and has a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

A highly anticipated bantamweight title fight headlines the card. Champion Sergio Pettis (21-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will attempt to make his first defense against former titleholder Kyoji Horiguchi (29-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who will attempt to regain the belt he was forced to vacate in November 2019 due to a knee injury.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 20 pre-event facts about Bellator 272.

Sergio Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

Pettis is one of eight fighters to hold the Bellator bantamweight title.

Pettis’ three-fight Bellator winning streak at bantamweight is the third-longest active streak in the division behind Raufeon Stots (five) and Jornel Lugo (four).

Pettis has earned 14 of his 21 career victories by decision. That includes 11 of his past 12 wins.

Horiguchi is the only Japanese titleholder in Bellator history. He vacated the bantamweight title after winning it.

Horiguchi is the only fighter in history to earn titles in Bellator and Rizin FF.

Horiguchi returns to Bellator for the first time since June 2019. He went 1-1 between stints.

Horiguchi is 14-1 in his past 15 fights dating back to April 2015. He avenged his only loss during that stretch against Kai Asakura.

Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Jeremy Kennedy

Emmanuel Sanchez

Emmanuel Sanchez (20-6 MMA, 12-5 BMMA) competes in his 18th Bellator featherweight bout, tied with A.J. McKee for the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Patricio Freire (23).

Sanchez’s 12 victories by Bellator featherweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Freire (19) and McKee (18).

Sanchez’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind McKee (seven) and Freire (five).

Sanchez’s eight decision wins in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Johnny Eblen vs. Collin Huckbody

Johnny Eblen

Johnny Eblen’s (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) five-fight Bellator winning streak at middleweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Anatoly Tokov (six).

Eblen has earned four of his five Bellator victories by decision.

Jay Jay Wilson vs. Alfie Davis

Jay Jay Wilson

Jay Jay Wilson (8-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) moves up to the lightweight division for the first time in his Bellator career.

Wilson has earned seven of his eight career victories by stoppage.

Wilson’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind McKee (seven) and Patricio Freire (five).