Tag: Kai Asakura

Juan Archuleta happy for ex-opponent Kai Asakura’s immediate title shot at UFC 310

Juan Archuleta expects former foe Kai Asakura to do well in his return to flyweight at UFC 310.

[autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] expects former foe [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] to do well in his return to flyweight at UFC 310.

Former RIZIN bantamweight champion Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges Alexandre Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) for the 125-pound title Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

Asakura’s last win before signing with the UFC was a TKO finish of Archuleta to claim the RIZIN bantamweight title last December. Despite Asakura having not competed at flyweight since 2017, Archuleta doesn’t expect him to struggle making weight for his title fight against Pantoja.

“I think he’s very explosive,” Archuleta told MMA Junkie of Asakura. “It seems like he’s really getting his body in tune. Last time I saw him when I was in Japan, he was a lot smaller than when we fought, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re doing well.’ I reached out to him (recently) actually because he was posting some Instagram pictures. I was like, ‘Hey, how you feeling?’ He’s like, ‘Oh, I’m so ready, I’m so excited,’

“And this is a new venture for him, this is something that he wanted and wanted to do going forward, and I’m super excited. I mean, and it’s a title fight right off the bat. Like, not many guys get a title fight in the UFC right off the bat, so it’s like, go get it, man. You have the tools and the athleticism to go get it done, and I think he’s well prepared now. I think he got down to a weight class, Japanese guys aren’t very dense in their muscles, but they’re very explosive.”

According to DraftKings, Asakura is a +180 underdog against Pantoja, who’s a -218 favorite to retain his UFC flyweight title.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Alexandre Pantoja says fresh challenge Kai Asakura makes sense for UFC 310: ‘It’s all about time’

For flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, the division could use a new face like Kai Asakura.

For flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag], the division could use a new face like [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag].

Former RIZIN champion Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) for the flyweight title at UFC 310 on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

The likes of top contender Kai Kara-France took issue with a newcomer getting a title shot, but having cleared out the majority of the division, Pantoja thinks it’s the right fight.

“I think it’s all about time,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “In that time right now, I think it makes sense.”

Pantoja is happy to see the flyweight division being spotlighted with numerous headliners – most recently with Brandon Moreno defeating Amir Albazi in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 main event.

Brandon Royval is also recently coming off a main event win, where he bounced Tatsuro Taira out of the ranks of the unbeaten at UFC Fight Night 244 in October. But with Pantoja having already beaten both Moreno and Royval twice, he likes the challenge of studying a new opponent.

“You bring Kai Asakura, the crossover – that’s what every hater of the UFC is talking about: ‘UFC needs to make a crossover,’ and when the UFC did that, the haters come back and say Asakura doesn’t deserve to fight for the belt,” Pantoja said. “But especially in my division – I love Royval too, that’s a beautiful fight he did with Taira, a contender, super fresh guy, Japanese, beautiful fight. I loved watching the grappling, the fight style. But of course, Royval lost to me twice.

“I think it makes sense. This time, nobody can say nothing. And it’s good for the whole division, too, because after my fight with Asakura, everybody is going to get the opportunity to fight with this guy, too. He’s good for the whole division. When I finished my fight with (Stephen) Erceg, and I was thinking who’s going to be my next opponent, when I looked at the top five in the UFC, I know the game plan to fight all these guys. Then you bring someone new, that’s good for me. I like that challenge.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 310 title fight

Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja being favored to beat newcomer Kai Asakura at UFC 310 shouldn’t come as a surprise.

A UFC newcomer is jumping right into a title shot as [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] is set to challenge flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] at UFC 310.

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura preview

Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) provides some new blood at the top of the UFC’s 125-pound division, especially given Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) holds title-fight victories over three of the four fighters ranked behind him.

Asakura has made his name in his native Japan, competing for Rizin since December 2017. Asakura is a two-time Rizin bantamweight champion. He split a pair of matchups with former UFC and Bellator champ Kyoji Horiguchi, lost his title to Manel Kape in December 2019, and most recently defeated former Bellator champ Juan Archuleta by second-round TKO in December 2023.

Pantoja will seek his third consecutive title defense. After winning a split decision against Brandon Moreno to claim the belt in July 2023, Pantoja followed up with wins over Brandon Royval and most recently Steve Erceg this past May at UFC 301.

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura odds

The oddsmakers favor the sitting champion, with Pantoja listed at -218 and Asakura coming back at +180 via DraftKings.

How to watch Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura at UFC 310

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024
  • Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Kai Kara-France baffled by newcomer Kai Asakura getting title shot at UFC 310: ‘They’ve got the wrong Kai’

Kai Kara-France doesn’t think Kai Asakura deserves a UFC title shot.

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] deserves a UFC title shot.

Former RIZIN champion Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the UFC 310 co-main event on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

Asakura received a title shot immediately after signing with the UFC, which top contender Kara-France (25-11 MMA, 8-4 UFC) says is not right.

“They’ve got the wrong Kai,” Kara-France told Sky Sports NZ. “After my fight, I was calling for the title shot, and I was thinking, ‘Sweet, I’ve got it,’ and then I heard they’re bringing in a guy from Japan and his name is Kai. Bro, he hasn’t even fought yet. I don’t think he earns it. You’ve got to at least show your worth or do something for guys who have been grinding for years in the UFC division, fighting the best guys.

“We’ve proved that we belong here, so I don’t know. That’s just how I feel about it. It’s weird that you can come in off no fights in the UFC and get a title shot. But if it’s going to bring in more attention to this flyweight division, you know, a bit of controversy – Does this guy deserve it? – yeah, he can go out there and prove it.”

Kara-France called for a title shot after scoring a first-round TKO over Steve Erceg at UFC 305 in August. He snapped a two-fight losing skid after back-to-back setbacks to Brandon Moreno for the interim title, followed by a close split decision loss to Amir Albazi.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Video: Reacting to Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov, Pantoja vs. Asakura title-fight bookings at UFC 310

What to make of the recent UFC 310 title-fight bookings? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

The final UFC pay-per-view of the year officially has its main and co-main events.

Last week, UFC CEO Dana White announced a pair of title fights that will headline the Dec. 7 event in Las Vegas as [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] will get top billing for UFC 310.

Were these the right fights to make in each respective division? Who will emerge as champions that night? How do we feel about Asakura getting a title shot in his promotional debut?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells, Danny Segura, and host Gorgeous George discuss the welterweight and flyweight championship fights booked for UFC 310, along with how they set up each division.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/hQw_JxC0qM8

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut, UFC 310, Topuria-Holloway heats up

On “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses Francis Ngannou’s MMA return and PFL debut, UFC 310 bookings and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC Fight Night 244 saw the end of flyweight prospect Tatsuro Taira’s undefeated record. Recent title challenger Brandon Royval picked up his second win since he lost to champ Alexandre Pantoja this past December when he outpointed Taira in a hard-fought split decision. Does Royval deserve the next title shot? Where does Taira go from here? We discuss.
  • UFC CEO Dana White announced the headlining bouts for the promotion’s final pay-per-view of the year. A welterweight matchup between champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] and challenger [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] headlines the event, with a flyweight championship fight between [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] and [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] in the co-main. We review these UFC 310  headlining bouts along with the overall strength of the card.
  • [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] had a digital faceoff this past week ahead of their featherweight championship bout in the main event of UFC 308. The dual interview, organized by the UFC, had plenty of highlights and tense moments. We discuss some of the comments made by Topuria and Holloway, along with the news that [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] will serve as the backup for the fight.
  • Saturday, the PFL will put on arguably its biggest event yet – PFL: Battle of the Giants. The pay-per-view card features the highly anticipated return of former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], who takes on [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event. Additionally, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] makes her PFL debut against [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] returns to action against [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag], and much more. We preview the card.

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UFC 310: Dana White announces Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov, Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura title doubleheader

Dana White announced UFC 310 will feature Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov, Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura title fights.

The UFC will close its 2024 pay-per-view-schedule with a championship doubleheader.

UFC CEO Dana White announced on Saturday that UFC 310 on Dec. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) will feature two title fights.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBCBgLSPhiZ/

In the main event, [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) will put his welterweight title on the line for the first time against the undefeated [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

And it’s not often a fighter will make his or her UFC debut in a title fight, but that’s what former RIZIN champion [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will do when he challenges flyweight champ [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the co-headliner.

Muhammad, 35, claimed the 170-pound belt in July when he outworked Leon Edwards to a unanimous decision in their UFC 304 rematch. He is currently riding a 12-fight unbeaten streak.

Rakhmonov, 30, has been tearing through the competition inside the octagon as he sports a perfect record with a 100 percent finish rate. He hasn’t fought since December 2023, however, when he earned a submission win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 296.

Asakura, 30, signed with the UFC in June. He became a star in Japan through Road FC and eventually into RIZIN, which he competed in from 2017-2023. Asakura went 13-3 for the promotion with wins over notables including Kyoji Horiguchi and Juan Archuleta, both of whom he finished with strikes.

Predominantly a bantamweight throughout his career, Asakura will drop down a weight class for his UFC title bout.

Pantoja aims to successfully defend his title for the third time. Since a title challenge win over Brandon Moreno in July 2023, Pantoja has won back-to-back defenses against Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg by unanimous decision. He rides a six-fight winning streak into this matchup.

The latest UFC 310 lineup now includes:

  • Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov – for welterweight title
  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC signs Rizin bantamweight champion Kai Asakura

The UFC has signed highly touted 30-year-old Japanese bantamweight star Kai Asakura.

[autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] is headed to the UFC.

Japanese star Asakura (21-4) recaptured the Rizin bantamweight title this past December against Juan Archuleta, who missed weight for the fight and was ineligible to retain the title. Saturday at Rizin 47, promotion head Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced Asakura has relinquished his title so he could sign with the UFC.

The UFC has not yet made a formal announcement of the 30-year-old’s signing, but he is expected to quickly be a threat to the upper echelon of the UFC’s 135-pound weight class, which currently is ruled by Sean O’Malley.

Asakura has fought exclusively for Rizin for more than six years. Before that, he fought for Japanese organizations like Deep and Road FC.

Asakura first won the Rizin bantamweight title in August 2020 when he knocked out Hiromasa Ougikubo. He lost the belt the same year in a rematch against Kyoji Horiguchi. It took him three years, and a run of 5-1, to win the title back, but he won’t defend it ahead of his move to the UFC.

Asakura is regarded as one of Japan’s best fighters. He holds notable victories over Archuleta, Horiguchi, Manel Kape and Ulka Sasaki.

Kai Asakura stops Juan Archuleta with brutal knee to the body, wins bantamweight title at Rizin 45

Kai Asakura is once again Rizin bantamweight champion.

[autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] is Rizin bantamweight champion once again.

The Japanese star was able to get back the title he lost three years ago by defeating [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] in the co-main event of Sunday’s Rizin 45 event, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Asakura (21-4) dropped Archuleta (29-5) with a brutal knee to the chest in the round and then followed up with ground-and-pound to get the TKO stoppage win.

Prior to the finish, the fight was pretty competitive. Archuleta dropped Asakura early on in the round, and both connected clean throughout the fight.

You can watch the replay of Asakura’s finish in the videos below:

Archuleta missed weight by six pounds at the official weigh-ins on Saturday. He was stripped of the Rizin bantamweight title and the belt was vacated, making Asakura the only fighter eligible to win the belt that night. According to the broadcast, if Archuleta had won, the bout would’ve been considered a no contest due to the weight miss.

 

Asakura first won the Rizin bantamweight title in August 2020, knocking out Hiromasa Ougikubo. The 30-year-old went on to lose it in December of that same year in a rematch against Kyoji Horiguchi. It took him three years, and a run of 5-1, to win back the Rizin bantamweight title.

Asakura is one of the best fighters in Japan today. He holds notable victories over Archuleta, Horiguchi, Manel Kape, and Ulka Sasaki.

On the other hand, Archuleta saw a four-fight winning streak come to an end. The former Bellator and now Rizn champion had wins over Enrique Barzola, Kim Soo-chul, Naoki Inoue and Hiromasa Ougikubo prior to the defeat. Archuleta is currently a PFL fighter following the purchase of Bellator in November.

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