"Will Kai Asakura be another one who stumbles" - UFC veteran points out one serious hurdle for ex-RIZIN star to overcome despite "bone-breaking power"
Former RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura will jump straight into the deep end in his UFC debut, slated for UFC 310 on Dec. 7, when he squares off against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Known for his devastating striking, Asakura is a dangerous fighter, but UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping warns that adapting to the cage environment could be a significant hurdle. Bisping highlighted the difference between competing in a ring, like in RIZIN, and the UFC’s octagon, which may impact Asakura’s ability to deal with Pantoja's wrestling pressure.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, the former middleweight champion said:
“The big difference between PRIDE [The premier Japanese MMA promotion before RIZIN] and the UFC is that they are competing in a ring. And the reason why this is going to be interesting is because, has he adapted his style to the UFC? Has he been training in a cage?”
The Brit added:
“Kai Asakura, this is a man that is extremely explosive... He is a lifelong martial artist, bone-breaking power as I said to you, but if you can’t stop the takedown then I’ll tell you what... It’s going to be another fighter coming over from Japan and not making the transition.”
He concluded:
“A lot of them went on to become champions. So, of course, they got there eventually, but there were a couple of stumbling blocks along the way, and will Kai Asakura be another one who stumbles in his first attempt?”
Check out Michael Bisping's comments below (1:34):
Kai Asakura previews title shot at UFC 310
Only a handful of fighters have fought for UFC gold in their promotional debut. Kai Asakura will be the latest addition to that exclusive club when he takes on reigning 125-pound king Alexandre Pantoja at the upcoming pay-per-view.
Pantoja enters the fight after a hard-fought win over Steve Erceg at UFC 301. On the other hand, Asakura's last outing was a TKO victory over Juan Archuleta to claim RIZIN’s bantamweight title before announcing his UFC move.
Despite Pantoja’s impressive five-fight win streak and two title defenses, Asakura expressed confidence in his abilities in a recent interview with the UFC, where he said:
“I’m gonna go in there and display what I can do, and I want them to have those same claims after the fight is over. My goal is to become the UFC champion, so when I was offered the chance to fight Pantoja, it was the first step to get to my goal, so there was no reason to refuse the fight. On top of that, I believe in myself, I believe I can win this fight, so there was no reason to hesitate."