I’m fighting for a title on my UFC debut – but I wouldn’t have made it in MMA if my brother didn’t try to kill me
Kai Asakura’s foundations in fighting were anything but conventional. His first fight was a brawl with his older brother in the streets, and now he’s got his sights set on becoming a UFC champion. Asakura is set for a title fight on his UFC debutGetty The 31-year-old’s status under previous promotion, Rizin, has earned him an immediate title shot on his UFC debut. He contests flyweight King Alexandre Pantoja in the main event of UFC 310 on December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. “The story of how I got into MMA is quite crazy,” Asakura said on UFC 310 Countdown. “My older brother was fighting in the street every day. 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 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 realised I had serious potential as a fighter. That’s what got me to start training MMA.” Japan’s Asakura is a former Rizin—Japanese MMA promotion—two-time champion, who is in the very unusual position of making his UFC debut contesting for championship gold. However, it will certainly be no easy task for him as his opponent, Pantoja, is arguably the best flyweight in the world right now. The 34-year-old Brazilian revealed in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com that he will enter the octagon for their fight with one objective, and that is ‘to kill’ Asakura. Asakura can become Japan’s first UFC championGetty But ultimately showed respect for his Japanese counterpart, saying that it would be his ‘dream’ to fight in Japan’s Saitama Super Arena one day. UFC 310 was originally headlined by Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight strap against Shavkat Rakhmonov. But Muhammad, who won his belt after defeating Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in Manchester, was forced to pull out due to a gruesome bone infection. This meant Asakura’s bout was bumped up to headline status and Rakhmonov now challenges Ireland’s Ian Garry in the co-main fight. “When I started fighting in MMA, the MMA scene in Japan had fallen from its prime,” Asakura said, reflecting on his introduction to MMA “Pride [Japanese MMA promotion] had shut down. During that time there was an organisation called The Outsider. It was the most popular organisation at the time. “I decided to join them and become a famous fighter.” 31-year-old Asakura has only lost four of his 25 pro MMA boutsGetty Asakura went undefeated in his first eight professional MMA bouts under The Outsider banner, but lost his ninth and went on to fight for Rizin. He became a two-time welterweight champion during his six-year career with Rizin and lost just three of his 16 bouts for the promotion, before getting the call from UFC CEO Dana White to join the promotion. White said in the fight announcement for UFC 310 that “no one wanted to fight” Asakura because of his background in Japan and incredible career highlights. “When I joined Rizin, my goal was to become the Rizin champion,” Asakura added. “Once I set my goal, I keep working hard to accomplish it. I have a stronger will than anyone else. I know what to do to achieve my goal and I keep focusing on it. “I was happy to achieve it, but I immediately set a new goal. Being the best in the world is my vision now. Becoming the UFC champion is what I’ve set my sights on.” White also added in his main event announcement that Pantoja was “an absolute badass” for agreeing to the fight, in what is set to be a flyweight spectacle. UFC 310 also has former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane facing Russia’s Alexander Volkov in a battle of the giants. No.13 ranked Bryce Mitchell takes on Brazil’s Kron Gacie on the main card too, which is set to begin at 3am GMT for UK fans on Sunday, December 8, live on TNT Sports.
Kai Asakura’s foundations in fighting were anything but conventional.
His first fight was a brawl with his older brother in the streets, and now he’s got his sights set on becoming a UFC champion.
The 31-year-old’s status under previous promotion, Rizin, has earned him an immediate title shot on his UFC debut.
He contests flyweight King Alexandre Pantoja in the main event of UFC 310 on December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The story of how I got into MMA is quite crazy,” Asakura said on UFC 310 Countdown.
“My older brother was fighting in the street every day. 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 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 realised I had serious potential as a fighter. That’s what got me to start training MMA.”
Japan’s Asakura is a former Rizin—Japanese MMA promotion—two-time champion, who is in the very unusual position of making his UFC debut contesting for championship gold.
However, it will certainly be no easy task for him as his opponent, Pantoja, is arguably the best flyweight in the world right now.
The 34-year-old Brazilian revealed in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com that he will enter the octagon for their fight with one objective, and that is ‘to kill’ Asakura.
But ultimately showed respect for his Japanese counterpart, saying that it would be his ‘dream’ to fight in Japan’s Saitama Super Arena one day.
UFC 310 was originally headlined by Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight strap against Shavkat Rakhmonov.
But Muhammad, who won his belt after defeating Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in Manchester, was forced to pull out due to a gruesome bone infection.
This meant Asakura’s bout was bumped up to headline status and Rakhmonov now challenges Ireland’s Ian Garry in the co-main fight.
“When I started fighting in MMA, the MMA scene in Japan had fallen from its prime,” Asakura said, reflecting on his introduction to MMA
“Pride [Japanese MMA promotion] had shut down. During that time there was an organisation called The Outsider. It was the most popular organisation at the time.
“I decided to join them and become a famous fighter.”
Asakura went undefeated in his first eight professional MMA bouts under The Outsider banner, but lost his ninth and went on to fight for Rizin.
He became a two-time welterweight champion during his six-year career with Rizin and lost just three of his 16 bouts for the promotion, before getting the call from UFC CEO Dana White to join the promotion.
White said in the fight announcement for UFC 310 that “no one wanted to fight” Asakura because of his background in Japan and incredible career highlights.
“When I joined Rizin, my goal was to become the Rizin champion,” Asakura added.
“Once I set my goal, I keep working hard to accomplish it. I have a stronger will than anyone else. I know what to do to achieve my goal and I keep focusing on it.
“I was happy to achieve it, but I immediately set a new goal. Being the best in the world is my vision now. Becoming the UFC champion is what I’ve set my sights on.”
White also added in his main event announcement that Pantoja was “an absolute badass” for agreeing to the fight, in what is set to be a flyweight spectacle.
UFC 310 also has former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane facing Russia’s Alexander Volkov in a battle of the giants.
No.13 ranked Bryce Mitchell takes on Brazil’s Kron Gacie on the main card too, which is set to begin at 3am GMT for UK fans on Sunday, December 8, live on TNT Sports.
