Japan is a market that has been tough to penetrate for the UFC. Having held only nine events there despite the rich talent pool, the UFC hasn’t returned to the Island nation in close seven years citing ‘difficulty in doing business there’. However, that might all change after UFC 310 as they signed an exciting new prospect in Japanese star Kai Asakura. The 31-year-old has been a major player in the Japanese circuit, and he’s now diving straight into a title shot on debut against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Kai Asakura is an immensely experienced fighter, with 25 professional fights under his belt. Amassing a record of 21 wins at the expense of 4 losses, the Japanese star is a two-time Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion, and perhaps the biggest modern MMA star from that country to join the UFC. His fighting prowess will be confirmed in December, so in the meantime, let’s take a closer look at the man outside the Octagon.

Is Kai Askaura married or single?

Kai Asakura is known for his flashy entrances and knockout skills, and most of the attention he gets is only because of fighting. But if we look at his love life, it seems like the 21-4 star is pretty good at keeping things low profile, because no evidence indicates anything about him being in a relationship. Even if we take a look at Asakura’s social media handles, there are hardly any pictures of him with any woman.

It seems like the focus has always been on keeping the media’s attention on his professional life because Kai Asakura seems like someone with championship-level caliber, now coming for the UFC 125-pound gold. Claiming that the UFC would do “good business” if he becomes champion, the 31-year-old said, “Let’s be honest. It’s good business for the UFC if I win and so 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 for them,” during an interview with ‘MMA Junkie’.

But how did Kai Asukura make it to the world’s premier MMA promotion? Let’s take a closer look.

More about Kai Asakura’s early life and background

Kai Asakura hails from the prominently agricultural city of Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. From a young age, Asakura was interested in martial arts and began training in karate and sumo. His older brother, Mikuru Asakura, is also a professional MMA fighter, and growing up, both brothers used to get into street fights. Having to look after themselves from an early age, both brothers found purpose in MMA.

The first time Kai Asakura ever trained in MMA was back in high school when, at the advice of his brother, he joined the Zen Dokai Toyohashi Dojo. From that forward, there was no turning back for the Japanese star, who made his professional debut in 2012. He would make his name in Rizin FF, becoming the biggest mixed martial arts star in the country. He has a fan-friendly style with 13 wins by knockout and three submission wins in 21 victories. His performances put him on the MMA map, becoming big enough for Dana White to put him against his flyweight champion. The rest is history waiting to be made.

What are your thoughts about Kai Asakura joining the UFC? Do you think he’ll become the first Japanese champion in the promotion? Let us know in the comments down below.