Say what you will about President Elect Donald Trump, but the man knows how to embed a catchphrase in the public consciousness.
Just weeks after Trump secured his second presidency, incoming UFC flyweight Kai Asakura was quick to borrow one of Trump’s best known slogans. No, not “you’re fired!” but rather “make America great again.” Or, in Asakura’s case, rather than America, he plans to make the UFC flyweight division great again.
Asakura said as much during Thursday’s UFC 310 pre-fight press conference.
“Listen. First of all, I’m here to make the UFC flyweight division great again,” Asakura proclaimed, the Japanese fighter speaking directly to fight fans and media in attendance in English. “First, I want to say thank you to everybody at the UFC, UFC audience, Japanese people, and my team. Everyone gave me great opportunities. Thank you so much.”
If it was unclear just why Asakura thinks the flyweight division needs to be great again – for many, it’s one of the hottest divisions the UFC has to offer, and almost certainly vastly improved from five or six years ago – the former RIZIN champ clarified things moments later.
Asked about champ Alexandre Pantoja, who Asakura will attempt to dethrone this Saturday, he admitted that “he’s a great, he’s a great. But in my opinion, his fighting style is not good. Champion has to do a more exciting fight. And you should do more promotion.”
Promotion seems to be something Kai Asakura is willing to do. He’s been making the most of an immediate title shot in his first fight with the UFC, a move nearly unprecedented in the modern era. You have to go back to the acquisition of Strikeforce, and Gilbert Melendez getting then-UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson right out of the gate, to find a similar situation.
Even then, the UFC owned Strikeforce. Asakura joins the company from RIZIN Fighting Federation, which is still very much in business.
Regardless, Asakura had more to say moments later. “I promise everyone, I will beat him. By knockout.” He did his best at promoting again moments later, asked what U.S. fans could expect from the Japanese import. “I will put on a show. One hundred percent.”
Kai Asakura faces Alexandre Pantoja for flyweight gold in the main event of UFC 310 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
