Kai Asakura has made a splashy entrance into the UFC, signing with the promotion and landing a title shot at UFC 310 in record time. As the former RIZIN champion gears up to face Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight belt at UFC 310 there’s been an eagerness to learn more about the Japanese MMA star.
Kai Asakura ethnicity and background
Asakura, born on October 31, 1993, in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan, has always had a fighting spirit. Growing up, he trained in karate and sumo, but his journey into MMA was shaped by a rough upbringing that often saw him and his brother, Mikuru Asakura (also a pro-MMA fighter), involved in street fights.
Their mother, recognizing their potential, encouraged them to focus their energy on boxing, setting the stage for their martial arts careers.
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Kai’s passion for MMA truly ignited during high school when Mikuru introduced him to the Zen Dokai Toyohashi Dojo. It was there that he fell in love with the sport and started training seriously. He competed in amateur MMA under Rings: The Outsider, a promotion designed to give troubled youths a fresh start.
After making his professional debut in 2012, Kai quickly rose through the ranks, eventually joining RIZIN in 2017, where he made an explosive debut by knocking out Kizaemon Saiga in the second round.
Kai Asakura MMA record
Kai Asakura’s breakthrough moment came at RIZIN 18 in 2019, when he shocked the world by knocking out then-bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi in the first round. This stunning upset cemented his reputation as one of Japan’s top fighters.
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While he fell short in a rematch with Horiguchi, Asakura continued to shine, winning the RIZIN bantamweight championship twice and racking up impressive victories. With a record of 21 wins and four losses, he boasts an incredible 76% finish rate and has taken down notable opponents like Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta, and UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape.
Outside the cage, Asakura has become a YouTube sensation. His channel, ΚΑΙ Channel, has over 1.36 million subscribers and more than 615 million views, where he shares training routines, vlogs, and lifestyle content. He’s not just a top-tier fighter; he’s a social media powerhouse and a major figure in modern Asian MMA.
