Question: Is Kai Asakura ready to conquer the flyweight division?
As a young fighter from Japan’s RIZIN Fighting Federation, Kai Asakura is entering an entirely new world with his first UFC fight. He might be stepping into the Octagon for the first time this Saturday at UFC 310, but he isn’t taking this journey lightly. The man himself insists that his earliest fight was against his own brother. His older brother, Mikuru, had been practicing street brawls every day, and Asakura was in no place to resist. “My older brother was fighting in the street every day,” Asakura said during a promotional video from the UFC, “He beat everyone and there was no one left to fight. So one day, my older brother called me out into the street – in the middle of the night.”
“Suddenly, he gave me some boxing gloves to wear,” he added with a wry smile. “He was really trying to kill me with each strike. I was able to dodge everything. It was the first time I ever had a real fight. That’s when I realized I had serious potential as a fighter.”
Asakura will be challenging for the flyweight belt against Alexandra Pantoja, a formidable opponent whose undefeated record speaks volumes. The 31-year-old Asakura has never lost at his previous home in Japan’s RIZIN, and boasts an impressive 21-4 record, facing off with top fighters like Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta, and Ulka Sasaki.
But it wasn’t just the training that ignited his passion; it was the crucible of street brawls, which gave him a taste for real combat. Asakura’s journey is far from conventional. He faces not only Pantoja but also the challenge of transitioning into the UFC’s unique environment.
Will Kai Asakura emerge as the new flyweight king? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for certain: the world is about to witness a fight unlike any other.