Kai Asakura breaks silence on debut title loss to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310, earns words of support from Nina-Marie Daniele

Kai Asakura recently released a post-fight statement following his unsuccessful bid for the flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310. Asakura thanked everyone for their support and vowed to make a stronger return to the octagon.

Asakura challenged Pantoja for the flyweight title this past weekend at UFC 310, which took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pay-per-view event marked the Japanese's octagon debut.

Meanwhile, Pantoja entered the contest with a six-fight win streak. In his previous octagon appearance at UFC 301, the Brazilian successfully defended his title by securing a unanimous decision against Steve Erceg.

The two got off to an explosive start, with Asakura and Pantoja trading shots in the first round. However, the 31-year-old's stint in the octagon was cut short as Pantoja submitted him in the second round with a rear naked choke.

Following his defeat, Asakura took to social media and released a statement reflecting on his performance. He wrote:

''Thank you so much for all your support, I’m sorry I couldn’t repay you with results. He was a great champion and I was still weak. I didn’t reach it this time, but I’ll definitely climb up and become the champion. I’ve always done that, and I’ll keep doing it until I achieve it. I’ll come back stronger.''

UFC content creator Nina-Marie Daniele resorted to the comments section, and expressed her support for the former Rizin bantamweight champion, writing:

''You are so exciting… such a talented striker, You are a star! So excited to see your UFC journey! Kanchō Power''

Screenshot of Nina-Marie Daniele's comment on Kai Asakura's Instagram post

Regarding Pantoja, 'The Cannibal' equaled Demetrious Johnson and Deiveson Figueiredo for the most UFC flyweight finishes (seven) with his victory at UFC 310. In the flyweight division, he also tied Johnson's record for the most submission victories.

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RIZIN president Nobuyuki Sakakibara backs Kai Asakura for a strong comeback

RIZIN president Nobuyuki Sakakibara was present at UFC 310 to witness Kai Asakura challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title. However, Asakura suffered a second-round submission defeat.

Sakakibara, who is well aware of Asakura's abilities, took to Instagram and expressed his support, writing:

''Kai was unable to fulfill his promise this time, but I hope he will fulfill the promise he made to us and the RIZIN fans to "become UFC champion and return to Japan!" We hope he will hold his head up high and move forward immediately. We will continue to support Kai as always!"