Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura fire shots at each other ahead of their high-stakes clash at UFC 310

Kai Asakura, ahead of his clash with Alexandre Pantoja, highlighted one advantage he believes he holds over the reigning flyweight champion. Asakura is set to make his UFC debut in a title fight against Pantoja at UFC 310, which will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 7, 2024.

In the UFC 310 countdown promo video, the Japanese fighter highlighted his knockout power and confidently claimed he could finish the champion with a single strike, saying:

"My advantage over Pantoja is that I can finish him in one shot. So if he makes even one mistake, I’m confident that I can KO him in one shot."

Check out Kai Asakura’s comments below:

Things are heating up ahead of their clash, as in the same promo video, Pantoja took a jab at Asakura, saying:

"Wherever the fight goes, it will be my fight. At UFC 310, I want to finish Asakura. I want to bring his head for my table."

Asakura, a former bantamweight champion in the Rizin Fighting Federation, is renowned for his incredible knockout power. He has 13 KO/TKO victories in his career. The 31-year-old was last seen in action at Rizin 45 in December last year, where he finished Juan Archuleta in the second round via TKO.

Meanwhile, Pantoja is riding a six-fight winning streak. He last stepped into the octagon at UFC 301, securing a unanimous decision victory over Steve Erceg and improving his record to 28-5.

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Kai Asakura believes that a victory against Alexandre Pantoja will boost the UFC flyweight division's business

Kai Asakura has made a name for himself in mixed martial arts. He holds an impressive record of 21 wins and just 4 losses in his career, which has earned him a direct shot at the flyweight champion in his UFC debut fight.

The Rizin legend, in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, asserted that if he secures a win over Pantoja, it will attract more audience to the flyweight division and make it more exciting for the fans. He said (Translated):

“Let’s be honest: It’s good business for the UFC if I win. I’m here to make it exciting, for people to have interest in the flyweight division and have a whole bunch of new matchups ready to have on future shows. I hope one day Dana White will turn to the audience and say this kid is a special KO artist, a KO machine.”

Check out Kai Asakura’s comments below (5:22):