Who is Kai Asakura, the Japanese fighter who debuts in UFC with a title on the line?

The flyweight division is crying out for new names, and Kai Asakura promises to rise to the occasion. After Alexandre Pantoja dethroned Brandon Moreno, the division has stagnated, with no one posing a real challenge to the Brazilian. Now the Japanese fighter will attempt to take the belt in the main event of UFC 310 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday.

UFC debut of fire for Asakura

Asakura is making a splashy debut in the UFC, and his situation is far from ordinary. In his first fight with Dana White’s promotion, Kai will face the flyweight champion for the title. It’s a big gamble for the organization, which has never had a Japanese champion and sees potential in tapping into that market, one that could prove a goldmine. “Let’s be honest: it’ll be good for UFC business if I win. I’m here to make it exciting, to get people interested in the flyweight division, and to line up plenty of new matchups for future events,” the Japanese fighter said in an interview with MMA Junkie.

Currently, no Japanese fighters stand out in the UFC ranks, which led the organization to recruit Asakura from RIZIN, a Japanese MMA promotion where he became champion. Asakura is hugely popular on social media and promises to become a star capable of drawing fans from Japan, thereby expanding the company’s global appeal.

Asakura: from street fights to the UFC

Like many other fighters, Kai started in the streets. His brother, Mikuru Asakura, was known for engaging in street fights in their neighborhood but ran out of opponents willing to face him. So, he challenged his younger brother to a fight.

To everyone’s surprise, Kai held his own. “One night, he challenged me in the middle of the street. Out of nowhere, he handed me a pair of boxing gloves to put on. He was really trying to kill me with every punch, but I managed to dodge them all,” Asakura recalled in a UFC interview.

The fight piqued his interest, and he began to see his potential in the sport. “That’s when I realized I had a lot of potential as a fighter. That moment got me started in MMA training,” the Japanese fighter shared ahead of his UFC debut. He began his amateur career in 2013, closing the year with two wins and two losses—a record that made him question whether he had what it took. Afterward, Asakura started racking up knockout victories and turned professional.

As a pro, he was unstoppable. Kai gained fame across Asia while accumulating wins and achievements. He dominated promotions like The Outsider and RIZIN, where he claimed championship titles. His skills caught the attention of the world’s leading MMA organization, which aims to make him a star capable of representing an entire nation. Now, Asakura has the chance to dethrone Alexandre Pantoja, the reigning champion who has yet to face a worthy challenger in a division in need of new life.

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