Kai Asakura

Kai Asakura (朝倉 海) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing as a bantamweight in the Rizin Fighting Federation, where he is the current Rizin Bantamweight Champion.

A professional competitor since 2012, he formerly competed for Road Fighting Championship, Fighting Network Rings and DEEP.

He is a former Fighting Network Rings 132-pound champion.

He holds notable wins over Ulka Sasaki, Kyoji Horiguchi and Manel Kape.

Kai Asakura made his Rizin debut on 29th December 2017, during RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2017.

Asakura was scheduled to fight the ZST Flyweight Champion Seiichiro Ito.

Ito suffered a nasal fracture before the bout, and was replaced by Kizaemon Saiga.

Kai won the fight in the second round after knocking Saiga out with a grounded knee.

During Rizin 10, Asakura faced one of the world's foremost bantamweights, Manel Kape.

After suffering an early flash knockdown, Asakura rallied and improved as the fight went on.

He would win a closely contested split decision, which would be named as a Fight of the Month nominee for May of 2018 by MMA Junkie.

The Fight Matrix had him ranked as the #7 bantamweight in the world in October 2019.

Aside from his mixed martial arts career, he is also a popular YouTuber in Japan, having gained over 616,000 subscribers in less than a year and having accumulated over 441 million views since June 2019.

He is the younger brother of Mikuru Asakura.

In elementary school Kai trained karate, as well as spending three years training volleyball.

Kai and his brother Mikuru Asakura spent much of their childhood getting involved in numerous street fights.

The brothers would often fight each other as well, to which Kai attributes his toughness as a professional mixed martial artist.

As they were entering their adolescent years, at the suggestion of a therapist, their mother enrolled them into boxing classes.

Whilst a third year student at Aichi Prefectural Toyohashi Technical High School, his brother took him to the Zen Dokai Toyohashi Dojo, which was Kai’s first introduction to mixed martial arts.

It was at the insistence and encouragement of his brother, Mikuru, that he did take his interest in fighting.

Kai Asakura, as well as his brother Mikuru, fought their first amateur MMA fights under the Outsider brand of Fighting Network Rings.

The Outsider brand was geared towards problematic youth, with focus on rehabilitating delinquents, criminals and gang members with MMA.

He would later fight professionally with Outsider.

After winning his first amateur bout, against Dai Aoki, with a first round armbar, Asakura lost his next two fights.

He would then go on a five-fight winning streak, which gave him a shot at the Outsider Amateur 132 lbs Championship.

During Outsider 33, Asakura beat Masamichi Yoshino in the semifinals and Yoichi Oi in the finals, both by way of TKO.

Kai Asakura began his professional career under the banner of DEEP, when he faced a fellow debutante Tomoya Suzuki.

Asakura won the bout via a first round TKO.

He would then fight with Fighting Network Rings new brand of MMA events named Outsider, after a three-year hiatus.

He faced Satoshi Date, whom he defeated in the second round by TKO.

Two months later he faced Keigo Takayama winning the fight after just 40 seconds by way of TKO.

Two months later he fought a debuting Jung Bin Choi, earning his first career submission, forcing Choi to tap to a D'Arce choke in the first round.

Asakura's next opponent was Jong Hyun Kwak.

Asakura again ended the fight in the first round, winning through a TKO.

Fighting with Road Fighting Championship, Asakura fought Liu Xiaoyang, who he beat by an RNC in the first round.

Fighting for the Fighting Network Rings 60 kg title, Asakura faced Yoichi Oi.

He won the title fight in the first round, defeating Oi at the very end of the first round by TKO.

Asakura's next opponent was Alateng Heili, who was riding a six-fight winning streak.

Asakura won the fight after 29 seconds, hitting Heili with a short left hook, followed by a knee strike.

Asakura suffered his first career loss to Je Hoon Moon during Road FC 39, losing by way of TKO.