Asakura’s UFC 310 Title Bid Ends Against Pantoja
Before UFC 310, Kai Asakura was making his UFC debut in a flyweight title fight against Alexandre Pantoja, and some coverage questioned whether he could reach the 125-pound limit. Asakura said he had no concern about the cut. At the official weigh-in, he registered 124.5 pounds and the championship bout went ahead as scheduled.
The scale answered the question
Both Pantoja and Asakura weighed 124.5 pounds for the UFC 310 flyweight title fight on December 7, 2024. The concern about Asakura making weight did not materialize. The result in the cage was a different story: Pantoja took Asakura’s back and secured a rear-naked choke at 2:05 of the second round, retaining his championship.
Asakura arrived from RIZIN as a former bantamweight champion and was given a title opportunity in his UFC debut. The loss to Pantoja was followed by a second defeat at flyweight against Tim Elliott. Those results left Asakura without a UFC win at 125 pounds, despite proving he could make the limit.
A move back to bantamweight
In 2026, Asakura returned to the bantamweight division. He stopped Cameron Smotherman by first-round knockout at UFC Macau on May 30, then knocked out Aoriqileng in the second round at UFC Shanghai on August 29. The two wins marked a turnaround after his 0-2 start in the UFC.
That later success came at 135 pounds, not flyweight. It does not change the outcome of his first UFC title fight, but it places the earlier weight-cut discussion in perspective: Asakura made the 125-pound limit, while the greater challenge on fight night was Pantoja’s grappling.
What the first title shot showed
The UFC 310 bout offered Asakura a fast route to a championship and tested him immediately against an experienced champion. He did not win the belt, but his move to bantamweight has produced a more successful UFC run so far. The interview video appears above.
