Kai Asakura plans to stay at bantamweight after first UFC win

Bantamweight Kai Asakura believes he has found his ideal weight class after a dominant UFC Macau debut. The Japanese fighter, who arrived in the UFC as the decorated Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion, knocked out Cameron Smotherman in less than two minutes of the opening round, also securing a $100,000 performance bonus. Asakura had previously competed at flyweight but struggled to find consistent success. After his emphatic finish, the 22-6 fighter reflected on the move up. "I definitely do feel like this is the right one for me," Asakura said in a post-fight interview. "In terms of the power, the strength and the speed this division is right for me." The early career struggles that prompted the weight-class shift appear to have been resolved, suggesting Asakura's bantamweight tenure may finally allow him to capitalize on his pedigree as a former Rizin champion.