Top 5 UFC debut hype train fails feat. Kai Asakura
Kai Asakura made his long-awaited promotional debut at UFC 310, and it'd be an understatement to say that it ended in an anti-climactic manner for the superstar striker. Nevertheless, the widely-revered Japanese fighter isn't the only one who entered his maiden UFC fight with a ton of hype and ended the matchup on the losing side.
In the wake of the much-hyped Asakura's one-sided defeat against UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, today, we look at a few similar hype train debut defeats. Bear in mind that some of these fighters lost their UFC debut but turned things around and eventually captured UFC gold, whereas a few others didn't scale the heights many expected them to.
#5. Luke Rockhold
Luke Rockhold wreaked havoc in Strikeforce as a rising star, eventually capturing the Strikeforce middleweight championship by outpointing Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza. He defended the belt against Keith Jardine and Tim Kennedy. In early 2011, UFC head honcho Dana White confirmed the UFC's acquisition of Strikeforce. Operated as a separate entity till 2013, Strikeforce was absorbed into the UFC in early 2013.
Rockhold was among the other much-hyped Strikeforce champions -- including the likes of his AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) teammate Daniel Cormier, Ronda Rousey, and others -- who came over to the UFC. The Californian's UFC debut saw him face former UFC light heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort, in a middleweight bout at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold in May 2013.
Many expected the much-hyped Rockhold to dominantly defeat the older Belfort. Both fighters were cautious and seemingly attempted to gauge the distance and timing first with a few long-range strikes. Belfort even successfully defended against a strong takedown attempt.
Later in round one, 'The Phenom' delivered a vintage KO, stopping fellow southpaw Rockhold with a terrifying spinning heel kick and follow-up ground strikes. Rockhold's hype took a major hit owing to the loss, a stoppage at that!
That said, Rockhold then amassed a five-fight win streak and captured the UFC middleweight title by becoming the first to defeat and knock out Chris Weidman. Rockhold lost the belt in his rematch against Michael Bisping next and then went 1-3 before departing the UFC. He later competed in submission grappling, in bare-knuckle boxing under the BKFC banner, and in Karate Combat too.
Watch Rockhold get KO'd by Belfort below:
#4. Uriah Hall
Uriah Hall has long been considered one of the most dynamic and explosive offensive strikers to have ever competed in the sport of MMA. 'Primetime' notably partook in the UFC-affiliated TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) reality show's 17th season back in 2012.
Hall was a part of Team Sonnen, being coached by Chael Sonnen, and clashed against Team Jones which was coached by then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Many deemed Hall the favorite to win the TUF 17 middleweight tournament and foresaw him as a future UFC middleweight champion.
The middleweight finals transpired at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale event in April 2013, featuring Team Sonnen members Uriah Hall and Kelvin Gastelum clashing against one another. It marked Hall and Gastelum's UFC debuts. It saw Gastelum utilize his grappling to stifle the striking savant's offense.
Ultimately, the razor-thin fight saw Gastelum secure the split decision win over Hall. Some argued that Gastelum's surprising performance and resilience mentally broke Hall, a sentiment UFC president Dana White echoed after the fight. Well, 'Primetime' did go on to have a lengthy UFC career after that, albeit he alternated between several wins and losses and was unable to become a champion.
Hall went 0-2 in his last two UFC appearances before announcing his MMA retirement later in 2022. He's since competed in a pair of professional boxing matches.
#3. Miesha Tate
Wrestling savant Miesha Tate captured the Strikeforce women's bantamweight championship by submitting Marloes Coenen in 2011. However, 'Cupcake' lost her title in her very next fight, being submitted by archnemesis 'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey in 2012. In her next, and final, Strikeforce appearance, Tate returned to the win column with a submission of Julie Kedzie later that year.
Tate's next fight was scheduled to take place in the UFC against the then-undefeated Cat Zingano, a fearsome Muay Thai savant who was an exceptional grappler. The belief was that though Zingano was dangerous, Tate boasted more experience against elite combatants and would likely beat 'Alpha' to set up a rematch against then-UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
Incidentally, Tate and Zingano fought on the same card as Hall and Gastelum did, at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale in April 2013. Their back-and-forth fight ended with Zingano viciously stopping Tate via third-round TKO with several elbows, punches, and scary knees -- the latter being the exclamation point.
Tate's debut ended in a scary defeat. Also, she lost her next fight as well, being submitted by Ronda Rousey yet again. However, 'Cupcake' continued her quest to win UFC gold and eventually captured the UFC women's bantamweight title by submitting Holly Holm in March 2016. Tate lost her title in her next fight via submission against Amanda Nunes that July.
Tate then lost to Raquel Pennington via unanimous decision that November and retired from MMA. She unretired in 2021. Tate has continued competing in the UFC, briefly fighting at flyweight. 'Cupcake' last competed at bantamweight.
Watch Zingano stop Tate below:
#2. Brock Lesnar
One of the most high-profile UFC debut hype train defeats came when ex-WWE champion and highly accomplished amateur wrestler, Brock Lesnar, lost in his maiden octagon appearance. In his second professional MMA bout, Lesnar took on former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81 in Feb. 2008.
Lesnar's speed, size, and supposedly freakish athleticism were viewed as major threats to all heavyweights, including Mir. 'The Beast Incarnate' rocked him on the feet and seemed en route to a ground-and-pound stoppage. However, Mir deftly used a kneebar that forced Lesnar to tap out in the very first round. Some experts predicted that the ex-WWE icon's MMA career was as good as done.
Lesnar persevered and amassed a four-fight win streak. He captured the UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Randy Couture and defended it by knocking out Frank Mir in their iconic rematch at UFC 100. Lesnar then submitted the then-unbeaten Shane Carwin as well before losing his title to Cain Velasquez.
Lesnar departed the UFC after a long battle with diverticulitis. The Velasquez defeat was followed by a TKO loss against Alistair Overeem in late 2011. He returned for a one-off fight against Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in 2016, which sparked controversy due to his PED test failures. Lesnar has sporadically performed in the WWE since.
Watch Mir submit Lesnar below:
#1. Kai Asakura
Kai Asakura is a former two-time RIZIN bantamweight champion, who's beheld as an incredibly innovative striker possessing an exciting fighting style. One-half of Japan's superstar Asakura brothers, Kai was coming off a spectacular TKO win over former Bellator and RIZIN bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta in Dec. 2023.
Asakura vacated his RIZIN title earlier this year and signed with the UFC. He was expected to make his UFC debut at 125 pounds, and many felt he'd pose a major threat to reigning UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Their highly-anticipated showdown headlined UFC 310 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Dec. 7, 2024.
Pantoja seemed unfazed by Asakura's strikes. 'The Cannibal' forced Asakura back with his strikes and eventually proved a massive grappling skill differential. Pantoja craftily submitted Asakura with a rear-naked choke in round two, thereby spoiling the Japanese superstar's UFC debut and his hype. It'll be interesting to see how Asakura, known for his high-risk combat style, approaches his next fight.
Watch Asakura's submission defeat below: