Alexandre Pantoja's Latest Title Challenger. It's not every day you see a fighter get a title shot in their UFC debut, but that was the case for Asakura, the two-time RIZIN Bantam

Kai Asakura’s bid to become the UFC’s second-ever Japanese-born champion fell short in the UFC 310 main event on Saturday in Las Vegas. After a quick ascent to a title shot in his debut, Alexandre Pantoja proved to Asakura that there are levels in the flyweight division, tapping Asakura by rear-naked choke.

The former RIZIN FF bantamweight champion debuts in the octagon this Saturday in the main event of UFC 310 (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, Hulu, ESPN+ ). In a not-often-seen opportunity, the Japanese star will challenge for a UFC belt in his debut, as he takes on flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.