Fans gush over Alexandre Pantoja's "class act" reaction as Kai Asakura creeps up on his UFC 310 media day scrum: "A genuinely kind human"

Alexandre Pantoja, the reigning UFC flyweight champion, faces rising Japanese star Kai Asakura at UFC 310 this December in a high-stakes clash. Pantoja, on a dominant six-fight winning streak, aims for his third successful title defense while Asakura, a former Rizin standout with a 21-4 record, seeks to make history in his UFC debut.

The fight promises fireworks, contrasting Pantoja’s elite grappling with Asakura’s striking prowess. Originally scheduled as a co-main event, it was elevated after a welterweight title bout was scrapped due to Belal Muhammad’s withdrawal.

Ahead of the fight, a lighthearted moment between the competitors stole fans' attention. During UFC 310's media day, Asakura was spotted observing Pantoja’s interview. Noticing his opponent, Pantoja responded with a friendly thumbs-up and wink. When asked about the moment, Pantoja graciously remarked:

“He looks nice ya, Japanese style.”

Check out the post below:

Fans applauded the champion's sportsmanship, with one commenting:

"Class act from pantoja though. No bad words. Even a compliment. Hard to not like Pantoja"

Another added:

"Hes such a genuinely kind human. When he firsts noticed him and gives him a friendly acknowledgement and then when asked he says he “looks good Japanese style” in the nicest way."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Kai Asakura peeping at Alexandre Pantoja during UFC 310 media day. [Screenshot courtesy: X]

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Alexandre Pantoja embraces challenge against Kai Asakura at UFC 310

Alexandre Pantoja is eager for a fresh test against Kai Asakura at UFC 310 on Saturday. The fight marks Asakura’s UFC debut after leaving RIZIN as a champion, making an immediate leap into a title shot.

Pantoja first noticed Asakura in 2019 after his shocking knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi, one of Pantoja’s esteemed teammates.

Reflecting on the matchup, Pantoja highlighted Asakura’s aggressive striking, and unorthodox PRIDE-inspired style. However, he remains confident in his versatility:

"He’s a very good striker. He’s got nasty knees and comes forward. He’s like an old time in PRIDE. That fight style is what he has. But in the UFC is different...I win much more fights when I start to fight MMA, not just go there and make it a street fighter, you know. I learned how to win the fights. I learned a lot with my coach and that’s what I’m going to do on Saturday, I’m going to win the fight."[H/t: MMA Junkie]