RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura officially signs with the UFC: “I will definitely get the belt”
Former RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asaukra is officially heading to the UFC.
The 30-year-old has been viewed as one of the greatest Japanese fighters on the planet for years now. For the unaware, Kai Asakura has been competing in the RIZIN ring since late 2017 and holds victories over the likes of Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi. In December, the bantamweight earned a knockout victory over former Bellator champion Juan Archuleta.
It seems that will go down as Kai Asakura’s last fight in the company. Over the weekend, the former bantamweight champion appeared at RIZIN 47. There, he made an announcement to the live crowd that he was signing with the UFC. In a passionate promo to fans, Asakura thanked promoter Nobuyuki Sakaibara for the opportunity.
As of now, the UFC hasn’t formally announced the signing of the RIZIN star. However, Kai Asakura later reiterated the news on X, where he promised to win the bantamweight title and bring more fight fans to Japan. For what it’s worth, the former champion will likely get a highly-ranked matchup in his debut later this year.
リングの上で発表させて頂いたとおり
RIZINバンタム級のベルトを返上してUFCに行きます。
一度も防衛戦をせずにUFCにいくという僕のわがままを受け入れてくれて背中を押してくれた榊原さんに感謝します。
僕の夢はUFCのチャンピオンになって日本に世界中のファンを連れてくることです。… pic.twitter.com/DpPVtunxSs— 朝倉 海 Kai Asakura (@kai_1031_) June 9, 2024
Former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura announces UFC signing
Not long after Kai Asakura made his announcement, MMAMania’s Alex Behunin reported that the former champion would likely get a top-five matchup in his debut. With that in mind, it seems that the UFC has high hopes for the former RIZIN champion. Given all the talent at 135 pounds right now, there’s no shortage of fun matchups for Asakura.
With the bantamweight’s signing, he will end his RIZIN run holding a 13-3 promotional record. Kai Asakura first claimed the title with a knockout win over Hiromasa Ougikubo in August 2020. While he lost the title to the aforementioned Horiguchi later that year, his run in the Japanese promotion was an impressive one.
The UFC’s decision to sign Kai Asakura is an interesting one, especially considering that they reportedly passed on Kyoji Horiguchi. The former RIZIN and Bellator champion wanted to join Dana White and company following his win in December, but they reportedly had no interest.
What do you make of this UFC news involving Kai Asakura? Who do you want to see the former RIZIN champion face in his debut?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
RIZIN FF UFC
