UFC flyweight debutant Kai Asakura has publicly addressed fight fans for the first time since his fall to Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 310 main event.
Kai Asakura's bid to become the second-ever Japanese-born UFC champion fell short in Saturday's UFC 310 main event in Las Vegas. After a meteoric rise to a title shot in his debut, Alexandre Pantoja proved to Asakura that there are levels in the flyweight division, tapping Asakura with a rear naked choke.
It was Asakura's first flyweight appearance since 2017 and his first stoppage loss since a knockout defeat to former UFC title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi at Rizin 26. The elite striker was unable to withstand Pantoja's wrestling pace and pressure despite a torrid start.
Hours after suffering his first UFC loss, Asakura was brutally honest about his social media following.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Kai Asakura talks about losing the UFC 310 title to Alexandre Pantoja
In a statement on his social media pages, Asakura addressed his followers for the first time since UFC 310.
“Thank you so much for all your support. I'm sorry I couldn't pay you back with results,” Asakura said.
“He was a great champion and I was still weak. This time I didn't make it, but I will definitely climb up and become a champion. I always have, and I will continue to do it until I achieve it. I will come back stronger.”
Asakura is only 31 years old and has plenty of time in his UFC career to right the ship. The loss snapped a two-fight winning streak against former Bellator champion Juan Archuleta and Yuku Motoya in Rizin.
Kai Asakura adds to the resurgent UFC flyweight division
Before signing with the UFC, Asakura became a global star during a long tenure in Rizin. During his promotion stint, he earned wild football knockouts and positioned himself as one of the most dangerous flyweights in the world.
Asakura won the then-vacant Rizin Bantamweight Championship by defeating Hiromasa Ougikubo at Rizin 23. After regaining the title against Archuleta last year, the UFC made every effort to sign Asakura in free agency after Asakura made his intentions known in a speech after the fight.
As for Pantoja, he continues to prove himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world after another signature performance at UFC 310. Before the win over Asakura, Pantoja fought in his first career UFC pay-per-view headliner at UFC 301, defeating Steve Erceg by unanimous decision.
Pantoja has played a major role in most of the top flyweight prospects in the UFC. Asakura could potentially get right back into the title conversation with a win or two in 2025.
For now, Asakura is still dealing with the agony of defeat as he plots his UFC comeback next year. While he's disappointed with his performance, the loss to Pantoja could be the catalyst he needs to finally earn the elusive UFC gold.
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