Japanese MMA star Kai Asakura is ready to light up Las Vegas on his UFC debut and capture championship gold in the main event of UFC 310.
Former RIZIN FF bantamweight champion Asakura has joined the UFC and moved down a weight class; he will challenge reigning UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in Saturday’s headliner, looking to make an instant impact.
“The UFC fans have never seen anybody like me fight ever before,” he told reporters during UFC 310 media day in Las Vegas.
“I always aim to go for a KO finish. I’m an exciting fighter, and I’m here to bring excitement back to the flyweight division.”
Asakura made a name for himself as the bantamweight knockout king of Japanese MMA. Now, the 31-year-old from Tokyo is ready to showcase his striking talents on the biggest stage in the sport.
Despite spending his career fighting in Asia, Asakura’s fighting feats still earned him a reputation among the hardcore American fight fans, as he discovered on his arrival in Vegas earlier this week.
“Since arriving in Las Vegas for this camp, I’ve been out on the streets of Las Vegas, and oftentimes people have come up to me and stopped me and recognized me, and I realize there’s some expectations on this event and this fight,” he said.
“I’m going to do my best to exceed those expectations and give those fans something very exciting.”
Asakura built his name as a 135-pounder in RIZIN FF, but now he’s ready to embark on a new chapter as a flyweight. It means a drop in weight, but with Asakura barely needing to cut weight to make 135 in the past, he’s confident that he’ll be at his best at 125 in the UFC.
“When I signed my contract with the UFC I told them I’m willing to fight either at flyweight and bantamweight,” he explained.
“And then, as discussions progressed, I said to them, ‘Look, I think we could bring some excitement into this division, so it would be better for me to fight at flyweight for you.’ And so that’s why I’m fighting at flyweight.”
Asakura’s first test couldn’t be much bigger or tougher. Not only has he been thrust straight into a championship bout, but he’ll have to take on Pantoja – a champion who has legitimate finishing ability on the feet and the mat.
Despite the scale of the challenge ahead of him, Asakura is super-confident that he’ll walk away from the Octagon with championship gold around his waist and a legion of new fans.
“I think actually he’s probably at the peak of his performance,” he said of Pantoja.
“He’s an excellent all-round fighter, but for me, it’s obvious that going forward in the future, there needs to be a change, and there needs to be a new king in town, and that’s why I’m here – to take over the flyweight division.”
