Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey feature in top 5 UFC debuts of all time as Kai Asakura looks to make history at UFC 310

This coming weekend at UFC 310, Kai Asakura looks to cement himself in the UFC history books by winning the UFC flyweight title in his debut fight with the promotion.

Earlier this year, the UFC announced the signing of RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura and confirmed he would compete at flyweight.

Fans started salivating at the thought of Asakura fighting Alexandre Pantoja in his debut, and not long after, the promotion confirmed their plan to have the Japanese striker fight 'The Cannibal' at UFC 310.

This gives the 31-year-old the opportunity to write two pieces of UFC history. With a win over the Brazilian on Saturday night, Asakura would become the first fighter to win a UFC title in his debut with the promotion.

Not only that, but throughout the UFC's incredible 31-year existence there has never been a Japanese champion, with Asakura hoping to become the first in history.

Let's take a look at the top five UFC debuts of all time, including big names like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

5. Alex Pereira brutally knocks out Andreas Michailidis with a flying knee

The number five spot on this list is extremely difficult to call. The reason Alex Pereira is on the list for me is because of the tremendous success he has seen since joining the promotion, and it all started with an amazing flying knee against Andreas Michailidis.

'Poatan' joined the UFC as an already established name due to his long history with Israel Adesanya, so his debut was highly anticipated to see if he could back up his history.

The Brazilian then scored one of the best KOs of 2021 after defeating Michailidis with a brutal flying knee. Of course, the 37-year-old has since gone on to become one of the biggest names in the sport, all starting with his highlight KO in his debut.

4. Alistair Overeem pulls off the upset to defeat Brock Lesnar in his UFC debut

After losing his heavyweight title to Cain Velasquez in 2010, Brock Lesnar was paired with Alistair Overeem in the UFC 141 main event.

'The Demolition Man' had made a name for himself in K1 kickboxing and was on a tear with Strikeforce before being moved to the UFC after the merger.

In his UFC debut, he was thrown straight into a five-round main event fight against Lesnar for his title loss.

Overeem pulled off a major upset when he finished Lesnar in the first round after a huge kick to the body and subsequent punches.

3. Anderson Silva starts his UFC career with a perfect KO

In 2006, Anderson Silva marked the start of his incredible UFC career with a stunning debut KO against Chris Leben.

Leben was 5-0 going into his fight against Silva, who had made a name for himself on the regional stage wherever he could find a fight.

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Silva heading into his UFC debut as he was known for his unique striking style, which built up a ton of anticipation.

The Brazilian went in and ended Leben's five-fight win streak, leaving him absolutely paralyzed in the first round, scoring a vicious knee to mark his debut with a victory and ultimately becoming the greatest middleweight of all time.

2. Ronda Rousey becomes UFC bantamweight champion

In 2012, Ronda Rousey became the first female champion in UFC history, in what was her debut fight in the promotion.

“Rowdy” Ronda was building herself into a major star during her time at Strikeforce, and after winning the Strikeforce bantamweight title against Miesha Tate, Rousey became a household name in MMA.

When Strikeforce merged with the UFC, Dana White recognized it as someone who could pioneer women's MMA in the UFC.

Shortly afterwards, Rousey was booked to fight Liz Carmouche in the UFC 157 main event and subsequently submitted her to the first round, becoming the first-ever female champion in the UFC.

1. Conor McGregor starts his UFC career with a star KO

UFC debuts don't get much more special than Conor McGregor's debut against Marcus Brimage in 2013. After becoming a double champion in Cage Warriors, White realized he had to sign the outspoken Irishman, McGregor.

He got a fight against Marcus Brimage at UFC on FUEL TV 9 where he got a chance to introduce himself to the masses.

Heading into his UFC debut, 'The Notorious' was a known trash talker, which built anticipation as fans wanted to see if he could back up his words.

Of course, he did just that and became the biggest name in the sport and one of the most famous martial arts athletes of all time.

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