Kai Asakura once broke his opponent’s jaw in two places with kicks so brutal that they’re illegal in the UFC

Kai Asakura's well-documented MMA career in Japan is filled with incredible knockouts, but one stands out more than most for its brutal nature.

This weekend at UFC 310, Kai Asakura will make his highly anticipated promotional debut, stepping straight into a flyweight title fight against Alexandre Pantoja.

His UFC debut marks nearly a year since he last competed, with his last fight coming against Bellator veteran Juan Archuleta.

Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images

Kai Asakura broke his opponent's jaw after brutal football kicks

The former RIZIN bantamweight champion is known for his crushing knockout power, having scored 13 KOs during his 21 wins. However, now that he has dropped down to 125 pounds for his UFC tenure, fans are hoping his strength will translate after a heavier weight cut.

Despite this, the 31-year-old's most terrifying win of his career came back in 2019, when he earned a title fight following a KO win over Ulka Sasaki.

Just under a minute into their co-main event, Asakura dropped Sasaki with a hellish right hand and reigned in a vicious ground-and-pound.

However, the 31-year-old then started landing brutal knees to Sasaki's head while he was on the ground, which is completely legal under RIZIN rules. The UFC recently had a rule change regarding knees to the head of a grounded opponent.

Fighters can no longer be considered downed unless some part of their body touches the ground other than their hands or feet.

Nevertheless, it wasn't the brutal knees that had fans stunned at Asakura's finish. The Japanese power puncher started delivering extremely brutal football kicks to Sasaki's head, which is still an illegal strike in the UFC.

After the fight, Sasaki came out and revealed that Asakura broke his jaw in two different places, further supporting the Japanese champion's supernatural strength.

Kai Asakura plans another 'spectacular knockout' at UFC 310

While UFC fans may not have been as familiar with Asakura's work thus far, the flyweight title challenger is adamant about scoring another “spectacular knockout” and showcasing his skills to the UFC fanbase.

“My advantage over Pantoja is that I can end the fight with one shot. If he makes even one mistake, the fight could be over,” Asakura said in an interview with the UFC.

“For UFC fans watching me fight for the first time… Don't blink! I plan to win with a spectacular knockout,” the challenger added.

'The Cannibal' Pantoja has never been knocked out during his MMA career and is one of the few fighters in the promotion to boast this feat.

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