“This is what happens when you get fast tracked”, Kai Asakura draws ire of controversial ex-UFC vet
Kai Asakura has announced a bit of a switch in the weight category he aims to fight in, and a former UFC competitor got in a dig at the former Rizin champion in the process. After a bit of an inauspicious start to his UFC tenure, Asakura will be moving from flyweight up to bantamweight as he recently announced on his personal YouTube channel.
Touching up on his intentions to move back to 135 pounds, a division where he captured Rizin gold on two occasions, Asakura said [via MMA News],
“I’m going to move up a weight class, so I’m going to have to prepare properly and get my body in shape again. It might be next year or so, but I’ll definitely win my next fight. It’s not because someone told me to, but because I’ve always done things based on my own instincts. I want to win.”
Muhammad Mokaev worked in a pointed dig at the former UFC flyweight title challenger via his personal X account @muhammadmokaev, as the former ranked UFC flyweight contender Mokaev stated,
“This is what happens when you get fast tracked. 0-2 in flyweight”
Kai Asakura and the 0-2 run that Mokaev referenced
Kai Asakura has yet to garner a victory in the octagon, but perhaps this move up to bantamweight will provide a fresh coat of paint on his combative career. The Japanese mixed martial artist became part of an exclusive group of fighters who debuted in the UFC whereby they were inserted right into a championship outing.
This took place last December against Alexandre Pantoja, with the Brazilian champion retaining his belt via submission at UFC 310. Asakura also lost his second UFC outing by way of submission when he returned to the cage in August. Kai Asakura took a loss to fellow former UFC flyweight title challenger Tim Elliott at UFC 319 in Chicago. Perhaps ‘the third time’s the charm’ is an adage that will apply to Asakura’s next UFC contest, whenever that may be.
