Michael Bisping sees Kai Asakura facing a potential hurdle at UFC 310.
Former RIZIN bantamweight champion Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+). Asakura will get a title shot in his UFC debut, but with Pantoja’s heavy pace and grappling style, Bisping is curious to see how the Japanese star adapts to fighting in a cage.
“The big difference between PRIDE and the UFC is that they are competing in a ring,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “And the reason why this is going to be interesting is because, has he adapted his style to the UFC? Has he been training in a cage?”
Pantoja is coming off his second successful title defense against Steve Erceg at UFC 301 in May. Meanwhile, Asakura scored a TKO finish of Juan Archuleta to claim the RIZIN bantamweight title last December.
“Last time we saw Pantoja, he had a tough outing with Steve Erceg, a man that shot to fame and rose through the rankings in record time,” Bisping said. “But Kai Asakura, this is a man that is extremely explosive.
“He is a lifelong martial artist, bone-breaking power as I said to you, but if you can’t stop the takedown then I’ll tell you what: It’s going to be another fighter coming over from Japan and not making the transition.”
Bisping used examples like Mauricio Rua, who, despite realizing UFC gold, dropped his octagon debut after transitioning from PRIDE.
“People like Mirko Cro Cop had a good run in the UFC but certainly was not as successful as what he was in PRIDE, and the list goes on – and the Nogueira brothers,” Bisping said. “Again, I’m not saying anything bad about these fighters.
“A lot of them went on to become champions. So, of course, they got there eventually, but there were a couple of stumbling blocks along the way, and will Kai Asakura be another one who stumbles in his first attempt?”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
